The Wa’wáanma Bear Creek Restoration Project intends to address anthropogenic affects and provide uplift to native salmonids in this reach of Bear Creek. This project will implement a fully comprehensive floodplain restoration project to address all limiting factors in this reach for all life stages of ESA listed salmonids. This will occur from RM 4.5 and 7.6 of Bear Creek, as well as 2 miles of Little Bear Creek upstream from the confluence of Bear Creek. Bear Creek is a tributary of the Wallowa River identified as WLL2 in the Wallowa Atlas Prioritization Document. This opportunity has been ranked as a Tier 1, one of the highest priority subwatersheds to restore in the basin. This contract will encompass the entire reach as Phase 1 besides that portion that is marked as Phase 2 in the plan set.

This reach of Bear Creek is a dynamic system experiencing a large flood pulse each year of water and sediment. Due to anthropogenic effects such as building the road, constructing two bridges, and infrastructure bank protection, Bear Creek is currently at bedrock in several places, straightened and confined thus producing a shotgun of water and sediment leaving a channel with little fish habitat. The project reach lacks pools and large wood capable of slowing down the water and trapping sediment suitable for spawning.

This project aims to increase pool numbers and depths and with wood additions, together they will increase fish habitat for juvenile rearing, and adult holding.

Some of the project goals to achieve restoring process and function to Bear Creek are listed and described as follows:

*  Increase the quantity and complexity of high-quality habitat by utilizing the placement of instream wood to improve hydraulic diversity, increase pool quantity and quality, improve sediment sorting, and increase cover.

*  Distribute stream flow and energy through a range of hydrologic conditions by increasing water surface elevations to reconnect or create seasonally active secondary channels.

*  Increase seasonal floodplain connection and function to dissipate flood energy and improve flood water storage, hyporheic exchange, sediment storage, and in-channel sediment sorting.

*   Where possible, maintain and enhance existing spring channels and create habitat features that can be utilized by beaver to expand their habitat and influence within the riverine corridor.

*  Protect, establish, and maintain a robust native riparian plant community along channel banks and floodplain, thus increasing shade and improving bank structure and habitat.

*   Protect and/or modify existing infrastructure to maximize fish habitat uplift throughout the project area. This will include removing the furthest downstream bridge and constructing a new bridge where the county road crosses Bear Creek.

Project elements will promote floodplain reactivation, which will benefit juvenile growth and survival.

Riparian vegetation has been suppressed by overgrazing but will most likely thrive once protected.

Besides ODFW, the GRMW, landowners/managers, and the Atlas Implementation Team partners have helped to guide this restoration project to improve process and function to Bear Creek.