Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) continues to be one of the primary entities focused on improving riparian habitat and overall watershed health within Wheeler County. Working in close partnership with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) the district has the ability to develop and implement scientifically sound and economically feasible resource management plans for private landowners.

The SWCD will implement riparian buffer protections to address limiting factors identified in the John Day Sub-basin Plan (John Day Subbasin Plan by Northwest Power and Conservation Council) for areas of the Lower John Day River Sub-basin within Wheeler County. This contract will fund a Riparian Buffer Technician that will provide technical planning and support needed to implement fifteen new riparian buffer contracts (twelve new fence construction), and three renewed contracts (leases) on approximately 471.26 acres covering an estimated 20.16 miles of streams under this contract. Three of the agreements were carried forward from the prior contract due to landowner property changes and the new landowners having different goals and objectives. This resulted in new designs and planning documents for the CREP projects The Riparian Buffer Technician will also conduct outreach needed to implement riparian buffer agreements in the next contract.

Plans developed by the Riparian Buffer Technician are used to implement riparian buffer agreements. Buffers widths will average 65 feet on each side of the qualifying streams but may also vary in width from 35 to 180 feet. Actual implementation costs, lease payments and maintenance costs will be borne by existing USDA programs: Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Program leases will be for 10-15 year periods. Implementation practices will include fencing, plantings, off stream water systems and other related practices necessary to ensure restoration and enhancement of the riparian area. Other funding sources, such as Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), will also be used as needed and available.

In 2016 Wheeler SWCD was awarded OWEB grant funding in conjunction with a significant contribution from BPA/CTWS to complete a reach assessment and management plan for the Rock Creek watershed. Out of this assessment many priority projects where identified in which an immediate benefit to native anadromous fish species was clear. Wheeler SWCD will continue to prioritize restoration projects within the Rock Creek watershed, and apply the use of Riparian buffer protections and enhancements where, and whenever possible. The Wheeler SWCD will also participate in the Lower John Day Working Group, and the John Day Basin Partnership, in order to understand and utilize the Atlas prioritization efforts so project efforts are focused on high priority projects in high priority watersheds identified within the county. This program meets a critical need in developing plans to address riparian health for the Lower John Day River Sub-basin. The SWCD uses the USDA NRCS "Nine Step" planning process to develop these plans: 1) identify opportunities and potential problems, 2) determine objectives, 3) inventory resources, 4) analyze resource inventory, 5) formulate alternatives, 6) evaluate alternatives, 7) decision - select alternative, 8) implement the plan, 9) evaluate the plan (monitor).

Notes:
Operation and Maintenance (O&M) are not required in this project:
Actual O&M is a funded item in the CCRP/CREP contract whereby the landowner receives an additional payment to cover maintenance costs. The landowner is responsible under the contract for maintenance. O&M is funded by the USDA.

Technical review and recommendation is included as a cost item. This is accomplished through visual inspections, and repeated assessments.  Additionally, records of stream miles, acreage and number of plans completed will be tracked for reporting purposes.

FSA has fiscal and administrative responsibility for managing CREP contracts to ensure contract terms are being met. NRCS has responsibility for technical supervision of all installed practices. NRCS delegates authority to the SWCD to provide this technical supervision as long as the SWCD adheres to NRCS standards and specifications. Through this delegation, SWCD technicians will use the NRCS Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (provided by NRCS) as the principal monitoring and evaluation tool to evaluate and describe both pre- and post- CREP project conditions.