This project is a monitoring component of a comprehensive strategy and framework for natural resource management developed by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) utilizing traditional First Foods concepts (see First Foods serving order in attached Umatilla River Vision paper).  A major component of preserving First Foods is protecting and enhancing the habitats which sustain them. The CTUIR Department of Natural Resource Fisheries and Wildlife Programs are implementing habitat enhancement actions in the Umatilla, Walla Walla, Tucannon, Grande Ronde and John Day basins in NE Oregon and SE Washington.

Initially this project focused on the development of a biomonitoring plan to determine the effectiveness of aquatic habitat enhancement actions on salmon and steelhead.  In FY 2015 this project expanded to include physical and biological sampling using regionally standardized habitat and biotic monitoring protocols and methods at a site level (CHaMP) to evaluate the effectiveness of habitat enhancement efforts sponsored by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).

In 2024 this contract provides a cost share of staff time to research and design a restoration monitoring approach post CHaMP.  The focused effort is identified in Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund grant (Project Umatilla-03). This is a collaborative effort to integrate methods identified in Biomonitoring (Stillwater 2012) and PHaMS (Jones et al. 2015) across the growing number of large restoration efforts to supplement/replace the site level monitoring efforts to date. This collaboration is between the Multi-Scale Hyporheic Exchange Project (2007-252-00), the Fish Habitat Enhancement Biomonitoring effort (2009-014-00) and the Monitoring and Evaluation of Supplemented Spring Chinook Salmon and Life Histories of Wild Summer Steelhead in the Grande Ronde Basin (2007-083-00).

Regional coordination will continue with BPA's Action Effectiveness Monitoring Program to coordinate sampling efforts and share data to contribute to regional efforts and analysis.

Monitoring data will be used to 1) determine the site level biological benefits of aquatic habitat improvements; 2) establish relationships between physical habitat conditions and biological responses to improved habitat; and 3) inform manager’s decisions for modifying existing habitat work and implementing new watershed restoration plans for achieving desired future conditions.