The general objective of the Yakama Nation’s Upper Columbia River, the Upper Columbia Action Effectiveness Monitoring project (AEM) is to document project scale and biological effectiveness of Yakama Nation sponsored habitat actions in tributaries to the Upper Columbia River.  The proposed methods and protocols for the AEM were reviewed in the 2019 NPCC Mainstem Category Review and met scientific review criteria (qualified).  The full proposal can be referenced as an attachment under 2017-003-00.  

This contract will cover the work associated with the first year of full project implementation in which we will apply the monitoring methodology developed for the AEM project and refined following the completion of the pilot study.  Under the 2025/2026 contract YN Fisheries/Habitat staff will:

1.    Identify and conduct project scale physical and biological monitoring of a single habitat improvement site and its two control reaches in the 2025 summer and fall and 2026 winter/spring field seasons,
2.    Monitor and collect seasonal fish and habitat data throughout the 2025/2026 field seasons
3.    Summarize, analyze, and report on the preliminary data collected at the habitat action site and control reaches evaluated in the 2025/2026 field seasons,
4.    Identify additional habitat restoration action sites and associated controls that may selected for inclusion in YN AEM,
5.    Participate in regional partner meetings to coordinate YN AEM activities with other habitat practitioners and strategies such as WA SRFB, WDFW, UC RTT, BPA AEM program and UC Biological Strategy, and
6.    Adaptively manage habitat and fish monitoring protocols/study design for YN AEM, and assure consistency of the AEM with other regional project scale effectiveness monitoring programs such as the WA SRFB PE program and BPA AEM program.