Along the North Santiam River, the Tribe re-acquired Chahalpam in phases during 2013 – 2019 through the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program (WWMP). This program is funded by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and administered by ODFW to acquire conservation properties for mitigating hydrosystem impacts within the Willamette Basin. Chahalpam is located below the Dams near Stayton and totals 462 acres. Within the WWMP, the Chahalpam acquisitions counted as dual credit projects due to the protection and restoration of significant ESA listed anadromous fish benefits. Portions of the property cross both banks of the River and the site encompasses more than a mile of River frontage.

Upon re-acquisition, 229 acres were still in agricultural production and the Tribe developed a phase-out plan to restore these acres back to native habitats. Restoration began in 2019 and to-date, 102 acres have been replanted to riparian hardwood forest utilizing the Rapid Riparian Revegetation (R3) strategy. It is anticipated that agricultural production will be completely removed by 2028. Efforts to replant floodplain forest will contribute to habitat restoration, but it only addresses one of the issues. Full restoration requires efforts to focus on restoring natural River flows to create and maintain dynamic off-channel and back-channel habitats. The Tribe has successfully implemented two projects improving floodplain connection (funded separately by BPA and OWEB; see Phased Section); and the Tribe has successfully secured additional BPA funds through the Anchor Habitats program to continue floodplain connection efforts with construction scheduled for 2024.

This project will build off ongoing floodplain restoration at Chahalpam by replanting 44.6 acres of riparian floodplain forest. This project will contribute to Chinook salmon and winter steelhead recovery efforts by establishment of native riparian vegetation which will cool stream temperatures through shade and contribute to future large woody debris for instream habitat. Vegetation establishment will increase habitat quality for adult refugia during the winter months, cold water refugia during the summer months, and improve juvenile refugia and rearing habitat.

A total of $1,622,362 restoration dollars have been invested at Chahalpam to progress towards desired future conditions Sources have included OWEB, Meyer Memorial Trust, Spirit Mountain Community Fund, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Oregon State Weed Board, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management and BPA. If funded, this Anchor Habitat Investments proposal will continue the restoration momentum at Chahalpam and contribute to the compounding ecological lift and re-establishing native floodplain forest to support the complexity necessary for fish and wildlife.