The Upper Mainstem Salmon River from the Pahsimeroi River confluence to the headwaters contains Spring/Summer Chinook and Steelhead Salmon returning to the Salmon River basin and Upper Mainstem Salmon. This reach has been identified in NOAA Fisheries Proposed ESA Recovery Plan as having the following limiting factors for listed fish: excess sediment, passage barriers, low summer flows, high water temperatures, lack of instream complexity, degraded floodplain function, and entrainment.  Habitat/recovery needs for these species includes removing passage barriers, increasing flows, increasing habitat complexity, reducing sedimentation, and preventing entrainment in irrigation ditches.  

Projects included in this SOW include completing the reconnect in the Upper Stanley Basin on Cabin Creek, and a riparian exclusion fence in Stanley on Stanley Creek.

Upper Salmon Basin (Work Elements J & K)

Upper Salmon projects include a passage barrier removal on Cabin Creek (WE J) and a fence on Stanley Creek (WE K). According to the NOAA Fisheries Spring/Summer Chinook and Steelhead Recovery Plan (2017) the Upper Salmon River Main-stem above Redfish Lake Creek provides a large amount of spring/summer Chinook salmon habitat. The current natural origin abundance remains the highest among populations within the Upper Salmon River MPG and its productivity is among the highest for populations in the MPG. Many conservation projects, similar to the project listed in this SOW, have been completed to address the impacts of human land uses.

Cabin Creek is located in the Upper Salmon River reach above Redfish Lake. Despite its modest size, Cabin Creek is thought to be a key tributary for native fish populations within the Alturas Lake Creek drainage. The complex habitat within its lower reaches near the lake likely served historically as important nursery habitat for salmon and steelhead and foraging habitat for native bull trout. The Cabin Creek culvert replacement project is a collaborative effort with the U.S. Forest Service/Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA). The project will address the removal of an existing barrier and installation of a new structure in the historic channel of Cabin Creek. The current culvert is undersized and in an excavated channel of Cabin Creek. The completing of this project would install the new structure, open the historic channel, and allow for Cabin Creek to access the historic channel. The design work and environmental compliance is being led by the USFS and implementation is planned for 2020. BPA EC and ETS are currently involved in reviewing the designs. The work proposed in the installation of the bridge/bottomless arch culvert.

Other work in this contract addresses monitoring previously installed projects (including fencing and irrigation improvement projects) to extend the life of the projects (WE E). There are approximately eight miles of fencing in the Upper Salmon Basin near Stanley that have been installed in previous contracts and may require repair. Most of the fence in need of repair is jack post and pole fence or log worm fence. Within this contract, the District proposes having staff revisit and monitor fencing and irrigation improvement projects installed by the Custer SWCD to assess repair needs and ensure long-term viability of the structures.

Morgan Creek: WE - K - Morgan Creek, a tributary to the Salmon River near Challis, Idaho is important for the spawning, migration and rearing of ESA-listed steelhead and bull trout and supports the rearing of ESA-listed juvenile Chinook salmon. Morgan Creek was historically de-watered below the SMC2-4 diversion during the irrigation season, blocking access to those fish species. Since 2005, the IWRB has worked with two water users on Morgan Creek to maintain a 3 cfs minimum flow below the SMC2-4 diversion and maintain full season connectivity in the lowest one mile reach of Morgan Creek.

References:
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) 2017. ESA Recovery Plan for Snake River Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) & Snake River Basin Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). NOAA West Coast Region. November 2017. Accessible at: https://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected_species/salmon_steelhead/recovery_planning_and_implementation/snake_river/snake_river_sp-su_chinook_steelhead.html