The Scope of Work and budget presented in this document represent the activities associated with the Coeur 'd Alene Tribe's resident fish enhancement project on Hangman Creek within the Spokane Sub-basin corresponding to the contract period May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024. Total amount of this budget request is $693,172.

Ongoing objectives include:
o Determine areas that are in need of restoration to improve spawning and rearing habitats for redband and other naturally reproducing trout.
o Support an educational outreach program to facilitate a holistic watershed protection process.
o Implement a habitat/in-stream restoration strategy that will support self-sustaining, naturally reproducing, and harvestable populations of native trout.
o Implement a monitoring and evaluation program to describe status and trends for habitat and the redband trout population and the impact of management actions.

The Hangman Creek watershed has experienced land use changes that have resulted in degraded in-stream habitat for fish and other aquatic species. Conserving habitats in the upper tributaries is a priority along with increasing fish distribution and reconnecting fragmented populations. Four fish-bearing tributaries - Mission, Sheep, Nehchen, and Indian creeks - were prioritized to conserve and enhance the existing population of redband trout (Herrera 2011 and Hardin-Davis 2005). Based on watershed assessments and systematic habitat evaluations, restoration prescriptions and methods have been identified for both mainstem and tributary habitats. A primary method of accomplishing habitat enhancement is to enlist beaver in a holistic strategy to address multiple ecological and hydrologic process deficiencies. Beaver influenced channel and floodplain morphology and vegetation historically, but alteration of their habitat and trapping have substantially reduced their influence and the ability for their populations to rebound. The absence of large wood to serve as foundations for dams and impacts to the availability of suitable dam-building material in the riparian zone have influenced the resilience of beaver dams currently. If conditions could be made more favorable for their re-establishment, it is likely that channel conditions and in-stream habitat could be restored to a more desired state, thereby restoring fish habitat, the riparian zone, and the floodplain in the process.

The technical report, "Recommendations for Beaver Habitat Restoration in the Upper Hangman Watershed" (Herrera 2011; Report is uploaded under Project Documents) identified stream reaches between Indian Creek and Mission Creek as the most feasible to use beaver as a partner in restoration. Reaches downstream of Mission Creek were deemed unsatisfactory because stream power is too high to support beaver dams. The reach upstream of Smith Creek was identified to need only riparian enhancement to aid beaver to aggrade the channel. Reaches immediately below Smith Creek were prescribed to need active restoration using heavy equipment to improve stream/floodplain connection. Work began after purchase of lands in the area downstream of Indian Creek referred to as  k'wne' 'ulchiyark'wmtsut translated as "To make it crooked again". All planned restoration work starting in 2013 thru 2026 occurs within this zone of the mainstem of Hangman Creek from k'wne' 'ulchiyark'wmtsut downstream to Mission Creek.

Priorities for tributary restoration were also analyzed, and it was determined that Indian Creek was not suitable for a beaver aided restoration approach due to its narrow floodplain width, higher gradient, and lack of hardwoods. An IFIM study (Hardin-Davis 2005) examined flow, habitat and water quality relationships for providing suitable redband trout habitat and concluded that tributary restoration could be accomplished primarily by adding large woody debris to improve pool quality and quantity.  Among all the fish-bearing tributaries, Indian Creek has been identified as a primary stronghold of redband trout in the upper Hangman Creek watershed within Tribal boundaries, and the highest priority among the tributaries to maintain habitat conditions to support dispersal of redband trout to other parts of the watershed. Other fish-bearing tributaries within the reservation include Mission, Sheep, Nehchen, and Smith Creek.

This two pronged strategy to protect and enhance existing redband habitat in the tributaries and restoring severely degraded habitats in mainstem reaches to connect those fish bearing tributaries are equally weighted in the overall strategy. Once k'wne' 'ulchiyark' wmtsut is complete, there is a desire to move methodically downstream with each restoration action along mainstem reaches. Priority among fish-bearing tributaries will continue to be Indian and Sheep Creek for improving habitat, and Nehchen Creek because of the threat of non native cutthroats found in the sub-watershed.

The following work will facilitate measured progress toward achieving the objectives for the project during this scope of work:

1) Implementing restoration designs utilizing beaver as a partner in restoring natural hydrologic function, overbank flow, and connection between streams and riparian habitats.

WE's (D) - Complete work initiated in 2022 by filling man-made channels and ditches on newly acquired property formally owned by the Morefield family. Approximately 60% of the job was completed in 2022. See attached document in previous contract for "ACOE_Permit_Hangman for details on design and area covered.

WE (E) - Riparian planting for this same property along the fully activated relict channel and to revegetate disturbed ground.

WE (F & G): Maintain 3.8 miles of stream with almost continuous riparian plantings, some of which is enclosed in a fence.2.8 miles is on Hangman Creek within k'wne' 'ulchiyark'wmtsut, and 1.0 miles is on Sheep Creek on Allotments 336 and 340 where previous channel and riparian restoration took place.

WE (H): Place aspen cuttings that will provide a temporary source of food and building materials for beaver by providing clippings at key locations with active beaver colonies. This work element will also repair analog beaver dams built in the previous contract.


2) RM&E activities to track status and trends for water quality and fish populations and their movement.

This includes WE's for trout populations and movement include summer backpack electroshock surveys (WEs K & P), evaluate status and trends in redband trout populations, and spring migration trapping (WEs J & R) and associated pit tagging technology (WEs L, M & T) to monitor seasonal movements of redband trout in specific reaches of the upper Hangman watershed.

Fixed PIT-tag antennae arrays will be installed at three locations on Hangman Creek to monitor mainstem use by redband trout: one at the mouth of Indian Creek; at the mouth of Nehchen Creek; and a new station within the k'wne' 'ulchiyark'wmtsut restoration area. New tributary stations will be installed at Indian Creek, Smith Creek, Nehchen Creek and Sheep Creek.

WE I is a non-native fish removal project on Nehchen Creek where a genetically confirmed population of illegally introduced cutthroat trout have occupied the upper reaches of the mainstem. Non-native fish removal began in summer of 2015. WE K and T help measure changes in the redband trout population following non-native cutthroat removal.

WE N and R is to monitor stream temp changes in the primary restoration area and within the watershed for control treatment analysis.

3) Reporting on project activities and outcomes.
Technical and a non-technical reports (WE U) are due in this contract period. The project is on a schedule to produce reports every other year..