Overview: Previously, individual reach-scale Project Areas (PA) encompassed in yearly contract support for the Columbia Conservation District (CCD), have been identified and prioritized by the geomorphic assessments and conceptual restoration plans for the Watershed, reviewed by the SRSRB Regional Technical Team (RTT), Tucannon Coordinating Committee (TCC) and Tucannon Implementers Workgroup (TIW), and placed on the SRSRB 3-year habitat work schedule.  Project areas were assessed under the following elements: channel characterization, floodplain characteristics, conceptual project actions, geomorphic implications, biological benefits and potential challenges. Projects were then evaluated and placed in implementation tiers based on four criteria: expected biological response, consistency with natural processes, benefit-to-cost, and reach priority (Anchor (Nov 2012), pages 29-44).

Revisions to the Tucannon River Conceptual Restoration Plan (Update), initiated in the prior contract term, are now complete (Jan 2021); project proposals for this funding cycle are reflective of the plan update: Tucannon River Habitat Restoration Design, Geomorphic Assessment (1/20/21), and Habitat Restoration Prioritization and Conceptual Restoration Plan (1/2021). For this updated assessment, Anchor QEA developed methodologies and performed analyses to characterize the geomorphic conditions of the Tucannon River basin through the lens of key parameters selected by the development team: channel and floodplain connectivity, channel complexity, excess transport capacity, in-channel (LWD) structure and pool frequency. The updated geomorphic assessment for the Tucannon River is primarily grounded in four of these attributes, analyzed to understand and describe the performance or condition of existing physical processes: floodplain connectivity, river complexity, excess transport capacity, and pool frequency.

The restoration strategies and recommendations for each delineated reach are based on habitat limiting factors identified in the Tucannon Subbasin Plan (CCD 2004), Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan (SRSRB 2006, 2010), and the completed Tucannon Conceptual Restoration Plan Update (2021), including salmonid life history and site-specific physical, hydrologic and geomorphic conditions. The selection criteria that are used to prioritize projects for implementation address the limiting factors outlined for the Tucannon River in the Biological Opinion (Bi-Op) for the FCRPS.

Status: Initial development expectations for the Tucannon Plan update have changed as we engaged with the technical work group and co-managers during the prior two contract periods (2019-2020). Foundational documents for the Update follow the outline of the earlier restoration planning approach in the Tucannon; and development efforts parallel the Touchet River Conceptual Restoration Plan document, to ensure consistency among existing salmon recovery planning efforts, technical work group collaboration and review, the involvement of co-managers and stake holders, and between the two watersheds to the extent possible. However, input from the Tucannon and Touchet stakeholders has been more technical, and expectations more substantial, than expected. These expectations include more rigorous data analyses and a more technical approach to resource prioritization. Through expanded data analysis using three different flow regimes to help capture the range of overwintering conditions (RCI analysis), we will have a more robust approach for using the data, and a better understanding of factors limiting salmon productivity and abundance, to assist with the prioritization of restoration actions for the watershed. This approach for the Tucannon Plan Update has influenced the Touchet Plan development as we continue to strive for consistency, to the extent possible, between the Plans in two very similar, adjacent watersheds.

Note: A similar plan or strategy for the Upper Touchet Basin, the Habitat Restoration Geomorphic Assessment and Restoration Prioritization (HRGARP), has also been developed over the prior two contract periods (See #78668, #81774, #84826) with cost-share from Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO contract #17-1301). The project mimics the general concepts developed in the Tucannon River Habitat Restoration Prioritization and Conceptual Restoration Plan (Update) by utilizing content from the Geomorphic assessment; and project areas are conceptualized and prioritized to “inform and support efforts to improve habitat conditions for focal aquatic species, promote a thriving fluvial ecosystem, and restore geomorphic processes within the Upper Touchet basin” (Touchet Basin HRGARP, 2020).

Due to the extent of data available for the Touchet River there are some differences in how the project areas were prioritized compared to the Tucannon River. Instead of 4 key components (floodplain connectivity, river complexity, excess transport capacity and pool frequency), the Touchet River HRGARP uses 3 key components, excluding pool frequency. There are 9 designated reaches within the plan, and 61 designated project areas; these project areas are prioritized into a 3-tier system by applying essential metrics developed and recognized through results of data-driven conclusions by the geomorphic assessment. The report includes 4 distinct parts; an executive summary, an assessment and prioritization report, the technical and supporting appendices, and a Webmap and GIS data package. The project is projected to deliver referenceable data for ~50+ years. “The size of the river and nature of recreation [use] allows for large scale, 'make a difference' restoration treatments that can move the needle on steelhead and salmon production” (Touchet Basin HRGARP, 2020).
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Ongoing (FY21): The District (CCD) will implement actions under the Tucannon Stream and Riparian Protection, Enhancement and Restoration Project to address and improve riparian area recovery or maintenance, floodplain connectivity and function, and instream habitat quantity and diversity, the primary aquatic habitat limiting attributes identified in the Tucannon River Conceptual Restoration Plan Update, Tucannon Subbasin Plan and Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan.  The District will focus implementation on private lands; approximately 75% of the assessed basin is in private land-ownership. Restoration actions on public lands are being led by WDFW and CTUIR currently. The CCD will present project proposals to affected landowners and assess interest and willingness to participate; as priority projects planned for implementation progress through design stages, they will be reviewed by the RTT, TCC and TIW, incorporating technical input. Tiered projects from both Untreated and Treated categories will be considered for future development and implementation. Evaluation based on the Geomorphic Study and Assessment, Plan Update, technical merit, tier-ranking, private landowner willingness and interest, adjoining restoration actions, local technical team(s) review input, and the District's ability to leverage BPA funding are critical drivers in selection and successful implementation of these additional projects.  

Under separate contract in FY21/22, the District will use implementation funds, leveraged with SRFB-RCO and Tucannon Programmatic funding, to design the planned habitat restoration actions on a portion of Project Area 26 (Phase II), PA-34 (Phase I-II), and for planning salmon habitat projects supported by the similar Upper Touchet Basin Habitat Restoration Plan. Restoration actions identified in the design and engineering for PA-26 will include: a) construction of LWD instream structures (28) to enhance habitat complexity and diversity, and enhanced floodplain connectivity; and  b) LWD/rootwad log structures (15) for roughened floodplain conditions to reduce overland flow velocities and enhance floodplain juvenile habitats. Design features address identified limiting factors with multiple lifecycle benefits for ESA-listed Spring Chinook, Snake River steelhead and Bull trout (Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan).

The additional work emphases expected in this period include: (1) permitting and environmental compliance activities associated with construction support, that are ongoing: additional requirements may continue past the start of the contract term (Apr), and will be completed by July 2021; (2) design engineering that may be refined (as needed) to reflect any year-to-year changes in channel morphology or to site conditions, and be adjusted to any variations in compliance requirements expected to continue into the start of the contract term (Apr); (3) Tucannon River Conceptual Restoration Plan (Update): incorporation of the final and now more data-driven work-products, Anchor QEA (2019-21); and (4) Touchet River Conceptual Restoration Plan (Anchor QEA, 2020): to begin to implement the assessment and planning restoration actions that are reflective of the plan including design, engineering, environmental compliance, permitting and project material sourcing.
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Background: Project goal is to implement habitat protection, enhancement and recovery strategies to restore habitat function and channel processes throughout the basin to improve species key life-cycle stage survival, productivity and abundance. Project focus is to promote and manage implementation of the 45 projects previously prioritized into three implementation tiers throughout the 50 river miles in the completed geomorphic assessment areas. The 45 projects are broken into three tiers of implementation priority (Tier-1 being the highest): includes 12 (Tier-1), 14 (Tier-2) and 19 (Tier-3) projects.  Individual Project Areas are designed at a sub-reach and/or reach scale.  The accumulated sub-reach and reach scale restoration actions will significantly improve natural processes and habitat conditions as well as the process utilized for identifying and prioritizing project selection and implementation.  Effectively changing river processes and habitat function requires reach-scale actions which is a goal of this project.  Conventionally, small scale or site-specific actions have been the norm because of lack of reach scale geomorphic assessments and long-term funding commitments.  Long-term sufficient funding level commitment will lead to restoring channel processes and habitat function at and across the reach scale, improving species survival and productivity in the Tucannon River.

The technical bases for individual project area evaluation, and project development and selection, was first to complete the initial phase of the Tucannon River Geomorphic Assessment and Habitat Restoration Study, (Anchor QEA April 2011) which included; basin description, geomorphic conditions, fish habitat and distribution, hydrologic analysis, sediment transport and mobility analysis, sediment budget analysis and reach characteristics and delineation of 10 discrete river reaches. This work strengthened the technical understanding of previously identified limiting factors, existing physical conditions and geomorphic processes in the basin in order to identify and prioritize habitat restoration areas.  Included in Anchor's assessment was Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and true color Orthophotography of the Tucannon River floodplain, (Watershed Sciences, 2010).  

The next phase of strategic development was to complete conceptual restoration plans for river reaches 6-10 and reach 2 and then ranked and prioritized them based on a restoration framework loosely following the recommendation of Roni et al. (2002).  The criteria used for this framework was focused on Spring Chinook in support, coordination and cooperation with the Snake River Salmon Recovery Board (SRSRB) in their development of the Tucannon River Programmatic Habitat Project.  It was reasonably assumed habitat improvements for spring Chinook will also greatly benefit steelhead.  This phase was completed in November 2011 (Anchor QEA, November 2011).  This phase also included 30% designs for Project Area (PA) 2 (Anchor QEA November 2011b) and PA-14 (Anchor December 2011).  

The last phase of the restoration strategy included the conceptual restoration plans for reach 3 and 4 (Anchor QEA October 2012) and the development of the Integrated Species Restoration Prioritization, Tucannon River document (Anchor QEA November 2012) covering the Tucannon River from river mile 0.7 to 50.3 as well as including all ESA listed species and life cycles.  The conceptual restoration plan for reach 5 was completed for the Snake River Salmon Recovery Board (Anchor QEA October 2012) and included in the final work-product; the Integrated Species Restoration Prioritization (Anchor QEA November 2012).

Objectives: Riparian recovery/maintenance, flood plain connectivity and instream habitats are critical management objectives addressing the broadest diversity of limiting attributes in identified priority restoration and protection geographic areas will be addressed.  Biological objectives of diversity, reduced embeddedness, LWD recruitment, primary pools, high flow refugia, riparian recovery and temperature will be addressed with this strategy and benefit ESA-listed and cultural significant focal species, spring and fall Chinook, steelhead and bull trout during their respective key life stages throughout the watershed.  Accumulated restoration/protection geographic areas, Pataha/Marengo thru Mountain Tucannon matches NOAA’s Major Spawning Aggregation designation, (MSA), Pataha/Marengo to Tucannon Mouth and Lower Pataha match NOAA's Minor Spawning Aggregation designations (mSA).  

Implement habitat protection, enhancement and recovery strategies to support FCRPS BiOp habitat goals, the Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan, the Tucannon Subbasin Plan, and the Walla Walla Subbasin Plan -- including support for identified ESA-listed and culturally significant or focal, species of interest in the Tucannon/Walla Walla Subbasins. Instream habitat quantity and diversity project focus is within priority protection/restoration geographic areas which cover the entire watershed due to species- and species-specific life cycle needs.  Projects, implementing identified strategies, address various biological objectives; sediment reduction, primary pools, floodplain connectivity and LWD recruitment/placement.  Project implementation will provide habitat benefits to spring/fall Chinook, steelhead and bull trout during their respective varied life stage needs throughout the watershed.
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Management Considerations: (Tucannon River Conceptual Restoration Plan Update) Full project implementation to achieve the habitat restoration objectives identified in the various assessment documents remains an ambitious challenge. Prior to the establishment of the Tucannon River Programmatic Habitat Project #2010-077-00, coordinated by the SRSRB, habitat restoration was primarily restricted to actions directed through the Tucannon Stream and Riparian Restoration program (CCD) - with a limited and leveraged funding base. The now well-coordinated, cooperative implementation of prioritized habitat improvement projects among the CCD, WDFW, SRSRB, CTUIR (Fish Accord) and Nez Perce Tribe will accelerate priority restoration actions addressed to identified limiting factors throughout the subbasin.  Considering the number of projects identified, still limited annual funding (although greatly improved among the programs), an abbreviated seasonal work-window, potential project phasing due to complexity and scale/scope, landowner willingness to participate, and the available capacity to implement multiple projects per year, effective planning and implementation progression require close cooperation.

The CCD and other Tucannon Implementer were utilizing the project effectiveness monitoring BPA was funding through the CHaMP program for the Tucannon Watershed.  BPA has suspended this monitoring program, at least in its former application.  BPA monitoring in the Tucannon Watershed is now performed thru their AEM program as a modified CHaMP application and funded by BPA.

Initiated previously at the local scale, and currently being utilized to supplement (or replace) the absence of other monitoring, is the Rapid Habitat Survey approach, implemented by Snake River Salmon Recovery Board staff with support from CTUIR, NPT, WDFW and CCD staff.  This protocol has proven to show habitat component change in a pre/post site comparison and utilizes characteristics common with the CHaMP process.  We will continue to utilize this monitoring approach in 2021.  A pre-construction Rapid Habitat survey was completed on PA-26 and data utilized in developing the restoration plan.  The project site will be visually monitored over the winter; if flow conditions suggest that habitat characteristics may have been modified, an additional pre-construction survey will be conducted prior to implementation.  A 2021 post-construction survey is also planned for comparison of changes in habitat condition.