The 8 Mile Ranch Project (8 Mile Ranch) restores habitat and hydraulic refuge for fish rearing and holding within one reach of the Chewuch River. The work performed provides fish habitat, stream complexity and restores a functional riparian zone in an area currently without any vegetation.
The Chewuch River supports salmonids that are currently listed under the Endagered Species Act (ESA), including spring chinook, Upper Columbia steelhead, and bull trout. In order to provide benefits to the listed species, the Yakama Nation worked collaboratively with the U.S. Forest Service, the land manager,to accomplish 3 goals:
- Restore a functional riverine system by installing eight engineered log structures,
- Restore a riparian buffer zone by setting the pasture fence back 150' from the streambank,
- Restock roughly seven acres with riparian plants.
The project was designed to use 272 Douglas fir trees in the construction of 8 Engineered Log Structures (ELS) along a 0.7 mile stretch of the Chewuch River shoreline. Each ELS was strategically positioned so as to provide maximum benefit for emergant, rearing and staging fish. The structures were ballasted by large rocks (up to 2 cubic yards) to ensure that no movement of the ELS would occur during high-water events. Each ELS was configured in the field by our engineers.
At the start of this project, there was literally no vegetation in the riparian corridor because the corridor was within the fenced pasture. The project was designed to remove 3,300 feet of fence, then set a new fence line 150 feet back from the shoreline to create a new riparian corridor.
After setting the new fence, new riparian plants will be introduced into the newly created 125 foot wide buffer zone.
The project was completed in fall of 2012.
- Fence Removal / Installation 2011-2012
- Instream Work July 2012
- Riparian Zone Planting 2012
| Activity-High Level Habitat | ||
| Total Miles Of Instream Habitat Treated | 00.7 Miles | |
| Total Riparian Acres Treated | 07.1 Acres | 10/19/2012 |
| Total Riparian Miles Streambank Treated | 00.7 Miles | 10/12/2012 |
| Activity-Instream Habitat Project | ||
| Instream Pools Created/Added | 05 Number | |
| Miles of Streambank Stabilized | 00.35 Miles | |
| Number of structures placed in channel | 05 Number | 7/31/2012 |
| Activity-Riparian Habitat Project | ||
| Acres of Riparian Area Protected by fencing | 07.8 Acres | 11/9/2012 |
| Miles of Fence Along Stream | 00.75 Miles |
11/9/2012 |
Project Photos:
Status: Completed
10/10/2011 to 10/26/2012Project Manager
-
Chris Butler ,
UC - Senior Fisheries Habitat Specialist
509-996-5005