The Wallowa River-McDaniel Project is located in Tier 1 habitat at RM 32 of the Wallowa River, tributary to the Grand Ronde River, near Lostine, Oregon. Summer steelhead and spring Chinook salmon spawning and rearing occurs in the project reach.  Reaches 1 and 2 of the Wallowa River-McDaniel Channel Reconstruction Project were implemented in 2004 and 2007, respectively.  These projects created a mile of new river channel that increased sinuosity, accessible floodplain, habitat complexity, suitable spawning substrate, and pool quantity and quality benefiting ESA listed salmon, steelhead, and bull trout.

The landowner, Doug McDaniel, has requested that additional measures be implemented on his property to benefit salmon and steelhead.  

Additional opportunities exist in this important Tier 1 reach of the Wallowa River to address limiting factors for ESA listed salmon and steelhead and to enhance measures implemented in 2004-2007.  This project will focus on increasing and improving available spawning and rearing habitat.

*  floodplain creation and connection,

*  wood augmentation to existing wood structures,

*  additional mainstem wood habitat structures,

*  off-channel habitat such as swales, side-channels, and alcoves, and

*  riparian planting and protection.

Benefits include:

*   Increased channel complexity, with channel morphology closer to historical and natural form;

*  Increased quality and quantity of habitat, especially large wood and deep, complex pools;

*   Improved sediment sorting and routing; ? Increased floodplain connectivity and frequency of inundation; ? Increased riparian extent and function with site-appropriate native vegetation;

*   Increased suitable adult holding and spawning habitat; and

*   Increased area suitable for juvenile summer and overwinter rearing, including cold water off-channel rearing, high-flow refugia, and foraging habitat.

Project partners include the landowners, ODFW, NPT, and GRMW and BPA.