Project Title:  Fifteenmile Creek Habitat Restoration and Monitoring Project

The Fifteenmile Creek sub basin drains 373 square miles of Wasco and Hood River counties. Originating on the east slope of Lookout Mountain about nine miles east of Mt. Hood, Fifteenmile Creek flows northeast out of the timbered higher elevations, swings north through the dry land wheat country, then west to empty into the Columbia River just below The Dalles dam.  The mainstem of Fifteenmile Creek drops approximately 6,405 feet in 54.5 miles from the headwaters on Lookout Mountain to the confluence with the Columbia River.  The upper stream reaches are moderate to steep in gradient, while the lower 43.6 miles are relatively low gradient with an average slope of 0.6 %.  Principle tributaries to Fifteenmile Creek include Ramsey, Pine, Dry, Fivemile and Eightmile creeks.  The flora of the Fifteenmile Creek sub basin ranges from fir and pine coniferous forests in the headwaters to grasses, perennial forbs, oak and widely scattered pine woodlands bordering the agricultural lands at the middle elevations.  The lower half of the basin is predominantly open range and dry land agricultural land.  The geology of the area consists of numerous outpourings of Columbia River basalt. Basalt basal flows create an impermeable layer underlying the area. The area is characterized by a high spring runoff from winter snowmelt combined with spring rains, followed by low summer flows that are heavily influenced by agriculture irrigation withdrawals.

The Fifteenmile Creek habitat restoration project is an ongoing project that has and continues to work with private landowners to maintain and expand upon past restoration work.  The goal of the project is to enhance the ESA listed population of the wild run of steelhead through multiple restoration actions.  Smolt trapping operations have also identified the possibility of a self-sustaining population of spring Chinook and anadromous cutthroat trout in the basin. The Fifteenmile Basin Fish Habitat Improvement Implementation Plan was developed cooperatively by Bonneville Power Administration, ODFW, Mt. Hood National Forest, and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs.  The purpose of the plan is to guide habitat rehabilitation efforts in the sub basin, and to be consistent with Program Measure 703 (c)(1) - Action Item 4.2 of the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The goal of the habitat restoration implementation plan is to increase wild steelhead abundance in the Fifteenmile sub basin to mitigate for losses of fish production caused by the Federal Columbia River Power System.  

This statement of work addresses the ongoing operation, maintenance, monitoring and evaluation of the Fifteenmile Creek steelhead habitat rehabilitation project. This corresponds to Phase IV, the operation and maintenance phase of the implementation plan.  ODFW is working on and coordinating with several agencies on additional habitat restoration projects in the basin to further increase instream habitat complexity and vegetative recovery that past project work has accomplished and continues to maintain and build upon. This habitat work could include channel re-meandering and berm removal work, to increase floodplain connectivity. ODFW will also work to leverage BPA funds with other funding sources to assist in the completion of this habitat restoration work. ODFW habitat staff will continue with the operation and maintenance of completed riparian habitat treatment measures on Fifteenmile Sub basin. ODFW habitat program staff will also continue with physical habitat monitoring throughout the sub basin. ODFW habitat project staff will conduct the field data collection efforts that will be used by ODFW M&E staff along with Pit tag array detections to generate estimates of fish in (adult estimates) and Fish out (smolt out-migrant) estimates. ODFW RM&E staff will generate annual reports supplement the ODFW habitat staff annual report.  The annual report will include the operation and maintenance of completed habitat treatment measures, and monitoring and evaluating results of past restoration efforts as well as fish population trends.