As identified in Catherine Creek Atlas CC2C fish passage at this location will address an anthropogenic barrier limiting factor and improve passage and access for adult and juvenile Chinook, steelhead, lamprey, and bull trout limiting life stages including ESA-listed SR Summer Steelhead who use lower Catherine Creek for migration and rearing at this location.

The proposed project is in Union County within the Catherine Creek River Basin, near the confluence of the Grande Ronde River. The project goals are to (a) improve irrigation water use efficiency, (b) decrease the negative hydrologic effects associated with Elmer Dam in its current state, (c) improve fish passage for all native fishes at all water levels and provide unimpeded passage to approximately 40 of miles of critical spawning and/or rearing habitat for ESA-listed salmon, (d) increase aquatic habitat quality, and (e) increase climate change resiliency.

The fishway and dam improvements coupled with on-farm improvements to off-channel reservoirs and intakes will result in unimpeded fish passage and more natural hydrologic scenarios throughout this migration corridor for all native fishes. Match funding has been secured for the fishway and dam improvements, we are seeking OWRD funds for the on-farm improvements to the off-channel reservoirs and intakes.

NRCS is supporting the Project with matching funds to convert the wheel line irrigation systems to center-pivots. This will increase the productivity and efficiency of the landowner’s field crop farming operations while conserving water.  These elements are not described in this SOW.

Project elements include: (1) New Vertical Slot Fishway with multiple entrances and exits to accommodate volitional passage for all species and life stages throughout a wider range of flow scenarios; (2) Elmer Dam Improvements adding an overshot gate to the dam to accommodate increased hydraulic capacity during spring high flow events; (3) On-Farm Improvements involving installation of two center-pivots, connecting the three off-channel reservoirs together through piping, and moving the two in-channel pumps to off-channel wet wells, allowing them to operate as one large system. Reducing the number of intakes from Catherine Creek into the reservoirs from three to one and providing NOAA-Fisheries and ODFW approved fish screens will improve screening operations, reduce fish impingement, and reduce the maintenance required to fill the reservoirs during high flows; and (4) Installing PIT antenna arrays to the new fishway and dam structure allowing project partners to track PIT-tagged fish through the migration corridor leading to better species escapement data.