Through this Sugar Levee & Sugar Left Design contract, MSRF and BPA will expand upon the work in the M2 Sugar Concepts (85690) and M2 Sugar Design Coordination (CR-349387) contracts to evaluate and select a preferred alternative for discreet habitat improvement actions at the Sugar Levee and Sugar Left project areas.

Under this contract, MSRF will advance the preferred alternatives developed collaboratively under prior funding to the preliminary/pre-permit level design. Selected alternatives will demonstrate direct benefits to floodplain connectivity, in-stream habitat complexity, and/or reconnect and enhance side-channels and wetland areas.

Under this contract, BPA, BOR, and MSRF will select a licensed professional engineer in coordination with RCO-SRFB to develop permit-ready designs. MSRF will work with the selected design contractor to establish a coordination plan that ensures local, state, and federal stakeholder concurrence on permitting and design requirements prior to completion of the 60%/pre-permitting design level task.

The Sugar project is along the Methow River north of Twisp.  This is in the Methow-River-Thompson Creek Assessment Unit (AU) which is included within the Middle Methow Reach Assessment.  This area is considered to be a major spawning area for steelhead, and critical rearing habitat for both steelhead and spring Chinook. This reach is considered to be a priority for restoration (ranked #6/14) by the Revised Upper Columbia Biological Strategy (2017), and highly ranked in the EDT (combined priority rank of #4/48 for steelhead and #26/36 for spring Chinook) and current prioritization framework. Current flood and infrastructure protection measures have resulted in loss of side channel habitats, lateral habitat connectivity, in-stream habitat conditions, and riparian conditions. BPA support will allow MSRF to expedite design and implementation of priority actions to increase habitat capacity, particularly for juvenile rearing for the target species.

Completed habitat assessments for this segment of the Methow River identified opportunities to enhance floodplain connectivity on nearly 90 acres of currently isolated or partially isolated floodplain, wetland and side channel habitat areas where protections have previously been secured through land acquisitions using a combination of HCP Tributary Committees, PRCC, state, and federal funds. These actions would result in increased connectivity specifically during the periods beneficial to steelhead and Spring Chinook.

MSRF has received verbal notice from UCSRB that we will receive a two-year funding award for design through RCO-SRFB. It is our objective to proceed with BPA and RCO in a concurrent process despite the one year limit to the current BPA award. Our expectation is that project design will continue past the end date for this BPA contract. The SOW for this project anticipates work progressing to the preliminary design deliverable (~60%) under Year 1 design funding. MSRF understands that the complexity of federal stakeholder review at 30% may limit progress beyond 30% within Year 1. MSRF will work closely with BPA ETS to track and address federal stakeholder issues during the 30% phase.

MSRF Contract Manager and staff  will all cooperate, coordinate, collaborate, and maintain effective communication with BPA PM/COR, EC Lead, HIP Review Lead, and Hydraulic Engineer during the entire length of this contract with regards to project design.  MSRF and its subcontractors will address BPA comments and concerns, and the two entities will arrive at a mutual beneficial consensus.