The work being proposed under this contract is for two of five restoration projects, scheduled for implementation the summer of 2014, for a reach based approach to habitat restoration in the Entait Watershed being monitored as an Intensively Monitored Watershed (IMW).  Restoration projects are also being proposed by the Yakama Nations on property within River Mile (RM) 2.6 to RM 3.5, and by the Chelan County Natural Resource Department near RM 1.9 (Keystone side channels) and RM 4.0 (Harrison Side Channel). The intent of the IMW approach is to construct reached scale projects in a single calendar year and then monitor those projects and their effects for the following two years. A final round of projects will occur in 2016-2017 in the middle Entiat River area.

The purpose of the project is to create summer and winter juvenile rearing habitat, and resting and holding areas for the listed species through backwater areas with cover, off-channel habitat, and habitat diversity in-stream through the installation of boulder clusters and habitat logs. These priorities were outlined in the Upper Columbia Regional Technical Team (UCRTT) Guidelines on the Implementation of the Lower Entiat Reach Assessment Memorandum (2012), and the Lower Entiat Reach Assessment (USBOR 2012).

There are three primary purposes of the subject contract:

One element of this contract is to fund Cascadia Conservation District's participation with the USFWS Design Team (contract #56835) and Chelan County NRD (CR-229364) to design and construct habitat projects in the Lower Entiat Rm 0.8 - 2.3 by providing staff support including but not limited to permit acquisition, continued landowner coordination, completion of landowner agreements, construction contracting and monitoring, post construction site restoration and planting, and other services as necessary to complete the implementation process.  Construction is planned for 2014 under this contract as one of a suite of projects intended to implement the 2014 Lower Entiat Intensively Monitored Watershed (IMW) program.

The second element is Cascadia Conservation District's participation with the USFWS Design Team (contract #56835) to design and construct habitat projects in the Lower Entiat at the Entiat National Fish Hatchery (ENFH)  Rm 6.7 - 7.0. Cascadia staff will support through the acquisition of permits, continued landowner coordination, completion of landowner agreements, construction contracting and monitoring, post construction site restoration and planting, and other services as necessary to complete the implementation process.  Construction is planned for 2014 under this contract as one of a suite of projects intended to implement the 2014 Lower Entiat Intensively Monitored Watershed (IMW) program.

The third element of this contract includes funds to be used for Incidental maintenance of the Tyee Ranch Habitat Restoration project, which was constructed in 2012 under a separate contract in FY11 (#53025).