Chewuch River Mile 10 Project

Project abstract:

The Chewuch River Mile 10 Fish Habitat Enhancement Project (RM10), improves stream complexity by improving available instream habitat, increasing side channel and off channel habitat, and stabalizing eroding banks. The RM10 project encompasses 0.85 miles of river length and provides benefits to spring chinook, Upper Columbia steelhead and bull trout, as well as providing habitat for resident fish species.

Project goals:

The Chewuch River supports numerous salmonids, some of which are listed under the Endagered Species Act (ESA), including spring chinook, Upper Columbia steelhead and bull trout. The Yakama Nation, working collaboratively with the landowner, designed this project to increase survival rates for young of the year (YOY) spring chinook, Upper Columbia steelhead and bull trout by:

construct eight engineered log structures (ELS),
construct 1300 feet of backwater channel habitat,
replace an undersize culvert,
and replant all disturbed areas.

Project plan:

The ELS's were constructed on private land, working collaboratively with the landowner,along 0.85 miles of Chewuch River shoreline. The location of each ELS was strategically positioned to provide the most benefit for emerging, rearing and staging fish. A total of 173 Douglas Fir trees were used for the construction of the ELS's, with each structure ballasted by large boulders to ensure no movement during high water events.

The backwater channel is 1,300 feet long and located in an historic remanant side channel. The backwater channel starts at the outlet of an existing ground water produced pond, on the private property, and connects to the Chewuch River on the downstream end of the property. Deepening the remnant channel and installing a properly sized culvert ensures access for both anadromous and resident fish year round. Pools and cover habitat were created within the channel using 47 pieces of large woody material.

All disturbed areas were replanted with native stock that had been collected a year prior to construction.

Project progress:

Activity Type - Floodplain Restoration - Washington
Channel Connectivity/Rehabilitation/Creation - Floodplain Restoration	1,227 Linear Feet

Activity-Fish Passage Improvement
Number of Blockages/Impediments/Barriers Removed/Altered	01 Number	10/31/2011

Activity-High Level Habitat
Miles Of Stream Made Accessible	00.25 Miles	10/31/2011
Total Miles Of Instream Habitat Treated	00.5 Miles

Activity-Instream Habitat Project
Acres Of Channel/Off-Channel Connected Or Added	01.5 Acres
Instream Pools Created/Added	05 Number
Miles of Off-Channel Stream Created	00.25 Miles
Miles of Stream Treated for channel reconfiguration and connectivity	00.25 Miles
Number of structures placed in channel	06 Number