BPA Riparian Fencing and Alternative Water Development Projects Completed within Asotin Creek Watershed, 2000 and 2001 Asotin Creek Fencing Final Report of Accomplishments.
- Bradley J.
The Asotin County Conservation District (ACCD) is the primary entity coordinating habitat projects on both private and public lands within the Asotin Creek watershed. The watershed covers approximately 325 square miles in the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington in Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 35. According to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) Priority WRIA's by ''At-Risk Stock Significance Map'', it is the highest priority WRIA in southeastern Washington. Summer steelhead, bull trout, and Snake River spring chinook salmon which are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), are present in the watershed. WDFW manages it as a Wild Steelhead Reserve; no hatchery fish have been released here since 1997. The ACCD has been working with landowners, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Washington State Conservation Commission (WCC), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), U.S. Forest Service, Pomeroy Ranger District (USFS), Nez Perce Tribe, Washington Department of Ecology (DOE), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to address habitat projects in Asotin County. Local students, volunteers and Salmon Corps members from the Nez Perce Tribe have been instrumental in the success of the Model Watershed Program on Asotin Creek. ACCD began coordinating habitat projects in 1995 with the help of BPA funding. Approximately two hundred and seventy-six projects have been implemented as of 1999. The Washington State Legislature was successful in securing funding for endangered salmon and steelhead recovery throughout the State in 1998. While these issues were new to most of the State, the ACCD has been securing and administering funding for endangered salmonids since 1994. The ''Asotin Creek Riparian Planting 2000-053-00 and Asotin Creek Riparian Fencing 2000-054-00'' teamed BPA and the Governor's Salmon Recovery Funding to plant approximately 84,191 trees and shrubs in the Asotin Creek Watershed. In addition BPA and private cost-share dollars were utilized to drill 3 wells, provide 15 off-site alternative water developments (troughs), 5 spring developments, and 9,100 feet of riparian fencing. The trees will provide shade and long-term LWD recruitment to the stream. The wells, alternative water developments, springs and fencing will reduce direct animal impacts on the stream. In one area alone, a well, 3,000 ft of riparian fence with 5 alternative water developments will exclude 300 head of cattle from using the stream as a source of drinking water during the winter months.
- Research Organization:
- Asotin County Conservation District
- Sponsoring Organization:
- United States. Bonneville Power Administration.
- DOE Contract Number:
- 00006228
- OSTI ID:
- 812366
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BP-00006228-1; TRN: US0303375
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Jan 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
BPA Instream Habitat Projects Completed within Asotin Creek Watershed, 1999-2001 Final Report.
Couse/Tenmile Creeks Watershed Project Implementation : 2007 Conservtion Projects. [2007 Habitat Projects Completed].
Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
ENDANGERED SPECIES
HABITAT
PUBLIC LANDS
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
SALMON
STREAMS
TROUT
US FWS
WATER RESOURCES
WATERSHEDS
CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
FENCES - WASHINGTON (STATE) - ASOTIN CREEK
STREAMBANK PLANTING - WASHINGTON (STATE) - ASOTIN CREEK
FISH HABITAT IMPROVEMENT - WASHINGTON (STATE) - ASOTIN CREEK