Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutUpper Deschutes Watershed Council UpdateUPPER DESCHUTES WATERSHED COUNCIL Upper Deschutes Watershed Council PO Box 1812 Bend, OR 97709 (541) 382-6103 Phone (541) 382-4078 Fax Mermrandum To: Dave Kanner From: Ryan Houston CC: Date: March 25, 2009 Re: April 15, 2009 County Commission Presentation The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council (UDWC) is requesting time on the April 15, 2009 County Commission meeting agenda to publicly acknowledge the work of several Commissioners and provide the Commission with an update on the activities of the UDWC. The following is a summary of the proposed presentation: Length of time requested: 15 minutes + time for questions / discussion Purpose: 1) Thank Dennis Luke for his long-standing service as a Board Member of the UDWC; 2) Welcome Alan Unger as a new Board Member of UDWC; 3) Present the UDWC's 2008 Annual Report; and 4) Highlight several ongoing activities and projects. Format and content: 1) Presentation of thank you plaque to Dennis Luke 2) Welcome to Alan Unger 3) Handout the 2008 Annual Report (hard copies will be brought to the meeting) 4) Present approximately 12 powerpoint slides to highlight key projects and activities 1 PP DE CHUTE W T R $ ` LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tom Atkins .1.T Atkins and Cori Bob Baker Rimrock Ranch Eric Beck REALMS Herb Blank Central Oregon Flyfishers Chuck Burley Burley and Associates{ �rn ClintonBendCity Council ounc' J' Cl Ci C Tom Davis Water Resources EngEneenng`- Michael Fisher Central Oregon C mmuni` Nancy Gilbert Wildlife Biologist Kyle Gorman Oregon Water Resources Department Steve Johnson Central Oregon Irrigation District (Secretary/Treasurer) Jan Lee. Swalley Irrigation District (Vice President). Dennis Luke=Deschutes County Commission Darcy McNamara Resident Joanne Richter Environmental Consulting Dan Rife Deschutes National Forest / Fisheries Rick Wright Wright Design Group / Paddlers (President) Dear Friends and Supporters, At the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, we believe that healthy rivers are at the very core of what makes Central Oregon so unique. The Deschutes River and its tributaries provide clean water to support local economies, ecological diversity, recreational opportunities and unparalleled natural beauty throughout the region. During 2008, we continued developing Targe -scale stream restoration projects, growing our youth education programs and refining our scientific monitoring. We continued building lasting partnerships with landowners, local governments and other non -profits, and we helped expand the overall reach of our collective efforts to protect and restore local rivers. Thank you for your ongoing support. Please join us as we continue working in 2009 and beyond. Richard S. Wright President Ryan Houston Executive Director 2008 STAFF & INTERNS Ryan Houston Executive Director Education Programs: Kolleen Yake Education Coordinator Amanda Lindley Intern Laura Campbell Intern Restoration and Monitoring Programs: Mathias Perle Project Manager Kristine Senkier Restoration Hydrologist Lesley Jones Water Quality Specialist Mike Logan Water Quality Technician Joe Checketts Intern Coggin Hill Intern 2008 Projects &Mission Fsh Since 1996, the Watershed Council has completed more than 30 major stream restoration projects. Restoration activities, including planning, design, implementation and monitoring were focused on the following projects in 2008: © Three Sisters Irrigation District Fish Passage and Screening © Whychus Creek Fish Passage and Screening © Sisters High School Student Stewardship 4 City of Sisters / Whychus Creek Restoration Planning ® Camp Polk Restoration 6 Rimrock Ranch Restoration Q South Fork Lake Creek Culvert Removal O Lake Creek Fish Passage and Screening O Lake Creek Lodge Restoration Metolius River Fish Habitat Enhancement ® Riverbend Park Riparian Restoration ® Tumalo Creek Restoration ® Trapper Creek Fish Habitat Enhancement 10 I I SIGN STATE ENT The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council seeks to protect and restore the two-m1l1'on acre Upper Deschutes River watershed through, collaborative projects in stream restoration, watershed education, and long-term monitoring:. Over the past 12 years, the Watershed Council has invested more than $10 million in stream restoration, monitoring and community awareness building. With local support from landowners, ranchers, environmental interests; local' citizens and representatives from local governments and agencies,, the Watershed Council leads cooperative, grass-roots efforts to improve watershed conditions. This grass-roots approach ensures that a balance, of affected and interested stakeholders is: involved to craft management strategies. for our watersheds. The Metolius River Fish Habitat Enhancement Project focuses on placing more than 900 whole trees instream to improve conditions for native redband trout, bull trout and chinook salmon.' RESTORING HEALTHY RIVERS' The Waterslhed Council's projects focus on restoring healthy rivers that support clean water and strong:fish populations; These;, projects, implemented. in collaboration wth ntimerous:local, state and; federal; partners, seek to. protect and restore the, world class; rivers that" make Central Oregon so unique, Key projects are highlighted here, additional projects are discussed on www.RestoreThe Deschutes.org. Volunteers helped plant more than 1,500 native trees and shrubs along Lake Creek after the removal of a nine -foot diameter culvert. SALMON & STEELHEAD The relicensing of the Pelton -Round Butte dams has brought new hope that salmon and steelhead will once again inhabit more than 100 miles of river upstream of Lake Billy Chinook. With support from many other partners, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Portland General Electric and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have launched an ambitious program to re-establish the historic fish runs that have been absent for the past 40 years. While it will take years for the first reintroduced fish to complete their migratory cycle to the Pacific Ocean and back, ongoing restoration work will help ensure that these anadro- mous fish, along with their resident cousins, have a healthy stream to come home to. As one of many local partners interested in seeing the rein- troduction be successful, the Watershed Council is focusing most of the stream restoration work in Whychus Creek and the Metolius River where summer steelhead and spring chinook are being reintroduced. Specifically, projects focus on: • Improving wetland and riparian habitat • Improving instream fish habitat • Removing fish passage barriers • Screening irrigation diversions Metolius Fish I labitat Enhancement Although much of the Metolius River already provides excellent fish habitat, the addition of more than 900 whole trees will create new pools and cover habitat for redband trout, bull trout and reintroduced chinook salmon. The project, led by the Deschutes National Forest and supported by the Watershed Council, is being completed over three phases in 2008-2010. 11 Lake Creek Culvert Removal Culverts and other barriers often interfere with migration for native fish and can result in population declines. On Lake Creek, a tributary to the Metolius River, the Watershed Council is working on eliminating these barriers in an effort to restore healthy fish populations. The 2008 removal of a nine foot diameter culvert on the Deschutes Land Trust's Metolius Preserve is just one of many projects focused in the Lake Creek area. 2008'Restoratiori Projects Camp Polk The 145 acre Camp Polk Meadow Preserve is the home of one of the most ambitious restoration projects in Central Oregon. Working in partnership with the Deschutes Land Trust and more than a dozen other partners, the Water- shed Council is leading an effort to restore 1.7 miles of Whychus Creek, 200,000 native plants and more than 35 acres of wetlands. Phase I construction begins in spring 2009 and restoration activities will continue into 2012. Rimrock Ranch The 1,200 acre Rimrock Ranch includes approximately two miles of Whychus Creek. While much of the property sup- ports good quality habitat, historic channelization of the creek has impacted the quality of the fish habitat. Through a partnership with the landowners and the Deschutes Land Trust, the Watershed Council is working on developing a restoration plan that will simultaneously improve fish and wildlife conditions and meet the needs of the landowners. Trapper Creek The Watershed Council is focused on Trapper Creek because it is one of the most important spawning streams for bull trout in the Upper Deschutes River watershed. Activities in 2008 included placing 70 whole trees along 1,000 feet of creek to improve spawning and rearing habitat. All of the work in Trapper Creek is through a partnership with the Deschutes National Forest. Although some of the irrigation diversions on Whychus Creek currently block fish passage, a new program launched in 2008 will retrofit many of these barriers to allow migration by native fish. s Fish Passage and Screening The Watershed Council is pursuing several projects on Whychus Creek and Lake Creek that will retrofit irrigation diversions to provide up- and downstream passage and protect fish from being trapped in irrigation canals. The largest project, located at the Three Sisters Irrigation District diversion, is scheduled for construction in 2009- 2010. It will include fish screening, fish passage and approximately 1,200 feet of stream channel restoration. ® City of Sisters Along the banks of Whychus Creek in Sisters, ongoing bank erosion has threatened both property and the health of the creek for many years. In 2008, the Watershed Council initiated the development of the Whychus Creek Restoration and Management Plan which outlines how the community can work to protect the health of the creek while prevent- ing loss of property. The project, implemented through a partnership with the City of Sisters, will lead to numerous restoration projects that balance the needs of the creek with the interests of the homeowners. Turnalo Creek Although most of the major construction work,on the 2.8 mile Tumalo Creek restort[on project was completed.` • by 2007, the Watershed Council;i.s s_ mon. king with the Deschutes National Forest ori site monitoring arid, maintenance to leisure that the project continues to be successful. Work in 008,included additional plantings, and continued post project fish population monitoring. Fish population; monitoring at Tumak Creek ind sates that �theredband,trout populations increased signi ficantlyfollowing.completion of more than 2,8 miles: of habitat restoration in 2006. (*denotes` incompletedeta) 120 , Redband Trout in Tumalo Creek 107 PHASE II RESTORATION PROJECT PI,JASE WATERS11E() Students of all ages participate in educational' programs through the Upper Deschutes HEALTHY WATERS INSTITU'' The Healthy Waters Institute is a program of The Freshwater Trust, irn'plemented locally,,; through a° partnership With the Watershed Council See www HealthyWaterslnstrtute arg The Healthy Waters Institute. (H WI) seeks to educate the next generation of watershed stewards. Through meaningful educational experiences, the Healthy Waters Institute,; works to enhance education and provrce students with hands-on knowl edge of their focal watershed HWI projects encourage critical _ thinking, science inquiry, cre ative writing, and stewardship of the natural environment-: HealthyWaterF, )° institute,.. In 2008, The Healthy Waters Institute successfully: • Coordinated education programs and projects for 19 local schools; • Provided educational materials, programs, presentations or curricula for 2,658 students; • Engaged 210 middle school and high school students in the award winning Salmon Watch program on the Metolius River; • Provided hands-on education opportunities for over 236 students to participate in Student Stewardship Projects to restore riparian habitat conditions on Roaring Creek, Whychus Creek, and the Deschutes River; • Trained 22 students from St. Francis middle school to participate in the reintroduction of 30,000 anadromous steelhead fry into Whychus Creek; • Lead environmental learning activities for the entire school during Eco Day at Tumalo Community School; • Facilitated and instructed multi -day 1000 Drops activities streamside with 126 students from High Lakes Elemen- tary and 122 students from Pine Ridge Elementary; • Coordinated over 40 local volunteers to donate time, equipment, and expertise to HWI programs and projects; • Integrated Hometown Waters teachers and students from St. Francis and Tumalo Community School into Riverfest Deschutes River Clean -Up activities. As part of their Home- town Waters learning activities, classes became site hosts and adopted sections of the Deschutes River during the river clean-up event; • Partnered with Wolftree, Sisters Ranger District, Sisters High School, and the Three Sisters Irrigation District to co- ordinate a month-long interdisciplinary Whychus Creek Student Stewardship Project for 25 juniors and senior interns from Sisters High School; and • Coordinated and led multiple student - mentoring restoration projects to support students teaching students. Student Stewardship Projects T hrough Student Stewardship Projects, the Healthy Waters Institute plays an active role in cultivating student watershed stewards by integrating interdisciplinary studies, creative writing, art, and science into meaningful hands-on restoration. In 2008, 236 local students from Sisters High School, Sisters Middle School, Cascades Academy, High Lakes, Westside Village, and Highland Elementary participated in hands-on stewardship projects. Student Stewardship Projects seek to: • Elevate student motivation for learning about their watershed; • Increase student participation in meaningful and relevant stewardship projects; • Provide students with essential skills, experience, and watershed knowledge; and • Cultivate civic responsibility by uniting students and community around their home waters. Helping students become interested in their local watershed at an early age is an important and effective way to influence their awareness and participation in a lifetime of watershed stewardship. �✓'�. ,Zr s... TH/PLACE WE':C,RO,SSTHE WATER The PIE c e We Cross the Waters .Whychus Creek is a publication.', created to educate and inspire our cornrnunity to better understand the unique beauty and',compiex' challenges facing Whychus Creek. By combining technical information, social, and ecological history, and inspirational artwork and photography from local students and community members, The. Place We Cross the Water tells the compelling story of Whychus Creek. This. publication Was made possible with funding from -the Laird. Norton Family Foundation, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and the Oregon Water- shed Enhancement Board. Written and edited,lry Kolleen Yake and Ryan Houston, The Place.We Cross the Water is avaiiabie free of charge from the Watershed Council. WA T E R=S H E. ,D... WATER QUALITY Student -led monitoring; activities offer students direct experience with data collection, analysis and in[erpretation. Smce2001,the Watershed Council has been;; collecting aYralyzmg, n ed di. istrbuting;information. about the heaith of the local rs riveanti streams.". By evaluating, Water "qm uality at orethan 2Q0, sites, 'monitoring "has' helpedset restoration priorities, evaluate project effectiveness, and identify emerging cornse,rvation:issues.. The Watershed Council works closely with a; network of local advisors, such as tliiw Oregon Department>of Fish and Wildlife andOregon. Department of EnvironmentafQuality, to ensure" that monitoring workremains scientifically credible and"will be widely used among Iocal watershed managers; • Analyze the status of water quality in and streams local rivers In 2008, the Watershed Council focused on several projects, including: Regional Temperature Monitoring Since 2001, the Watershed Council has been tracking tem- perature changes to evaluate if local rivers meet state water temperature criteria set to protect native fish populations. These studies help determine how restoration is improving water quality by reducing stream temperatures. Whychus Creek Restoration Monitoring Monitoring in Whychus Creek focuses on tracking changes in temperature as streamflows are increased. This has allowed development of specific streamflow restoration targets that, when achieved, will result in water temperatures suitable to support thriving fish populations. City of Bend Water Quality Monitoring The Watershed Council has been working with the City of Bend since 2003 to evaluate the water quality of the Deschutes River and Tumalo Creek as they flow through the urban growth boundary. The monitoring, designed to identify baseline condi- tions and track water quality changes, will continue until 2009. Oregon State University Undergraduate Internship Starting in 2005, the Watershed Council partnered with OSU to provide local undergraduate students an 11 -month internship opportunity to study watershed research and science. The internship program will enter its fifth year in 2009. Regional Database The water quality database provides easy access to information about conditions in local rivers and streams. Launched in 2007, it provides researchers and watershed managers with timely information to help guide restoration efforts. • Track changes in wateriquality overtime • Evaluate the effectiveness of restoration projects • Identify emerging water quality issues that may affect localfish and wildlife • Inform the community aboutimportant issues Water quality monitoring at Lower Bridge on the Deschutes River tracks temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH throughout the summer months. This monitoring helps guide streamflow restoration efforts that improve habitat for native redband trout. Model Watershed Program 0 ne of the key components of any watershed restoration effort is the implementation of a monitoring program that can accurately detect and track changes that result from restoration projects. Although the interconnected components of the ecosystem make this kind of tracking very difficult, there are often key indicators that can be used to help measure progress in restoration. With a 10 -year funding commitment from the Bonneville Environ- mental Foundation, the Watershed Council has developed a comprehensive monitoring plan to track the health of Whychus Creek. Working with a network of partners and using 19 indicators of ecosystem health, monitoring will measure how community -wide restoration efforts are leading to improvements in fish habitat, water quality and overall stream health. l3ONNEYIE1E "The Watershed Council consistently © ENVIeONMENTAL FOUNDATION strives;:o put science and accountability at the forefront of their work....they standoitt as one of the very best community-based watershed restoration programs." Tadd Reeve, Vice President, Bonneville Environmental Foundation Springs bring cold, clean water into the lower reaches of Whychus Creek, provid- ing an important refuge for native fish during the hot summer months. This monitoring is particularly relevant because Portland General Electric, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are leading an effort to restore steelhead trout to Whychus Creek. Monitoring the health of the creek will help guide this long-term restoration effort. Steelhead trout surveys in the 1950s to 1960s identified as many as 619 adults in Whychus Creek. Based on this, biologists estimated that there may have been up to 1,000 adults present. As steelhead trout reintroduction continues, long-term monitoring will help guide habitat restoration efforts and track the return of this iconic species. (* denotes incomplete information) 500 ::: cp 200 - 11! -: 100 Steelhead trout were absent from Whychus Creek for more than 40 years after darns blocked rheir migration. storation Target: i0 Adults by 2025 YEAR OWEB SPECIAL INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP VALUABLE While the vast majority of government grants are small, piecemeal and difficult to Zink into large projects, there are a precious few that fund a more holistic OWES approach to watershed restoration. In 2008, the Oregon Watershed Enhance- ment Board (OWEB) launched its Special Investment Partnership in the Deschutes River basin by dedicating $4 million to fund an integrated portfolio of watershed restoration projects. The Watershed Council is working alongside the Deschutes River Conservancy, Deschutes Land Trust and Crooked River Watershed Council to invest these funds into major restoration projects on Whychus Creek and the Metolius and Crooked Rivers. Core partners in the Special Investment Partnership include: • Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board • Deschutes River Conservancy • Deschutes Land Trust • Crooked River Watershed Council • Pelton Round Butte Fund The Three Sisters Irrtgactan bi trio diversion located upstream from Sisters, currently blocks migratory fish from snovtng up and downstream along Whychus Greek. The. Watershed Council an4 its partners are developing a retrofit design that viii allow fish passage;and prevent fish from being trapped in the canal sysicnis that carry water to nearby farmland.', The 1.7 mile stream restoration project at the Deschutes Land Trust's Camp Polk Meadow Preserve is one of the core projects in the Deschutes Special Investment Partnership. More than $800,000 in funding from OWEB will be matched with funding from the Pelton Round Butte Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Environmental Qual- ity and others to support the project. Funding & Support Contract Services $26,352 (2%) Deschutes County $20,000 (2%) Events & Other Donations $25,419 (2%J Grants (State) $231,225 (20%) Grants (Federal) $43,743 (4%) Grants (Non -Governmental) $813,851 (70%) • ' ' ' ' " " ' ' ' ' ' ' ' " ' ' The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, a major funder for most watershed councils in Oregon, uses 7.5% of Oregon Lottery proceeds to support watershed restoration grant programs. MAJOR FUNDING SOURCES Pelton Round Butte Mitigation Fund Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Deschutes Land Trust The Freshwater Trust Deschutes River Conservancy $ 634,835 $ 224,661 $ 46,350 • $ 44,142 42,623 • Oregon Department of Environmental Quality $ 36,823 Other Sources $ 36,375 National Forest Foundation $ 25,900 City of Bend $ 21,961 Bonneville Environmental Foundation $ 20,000 Deschutes County $ 20,000 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service $ 6,920 Total $1,160,590 Grants NIJ E $1,088,819 Deschutes County 1 $ 20,000 Contract Services $ 26,352 Events & Other Donations $ 125,419 eveittie $i,160,590 XP N S.,E S. Contract Services Personnel Supplies and Maintenance Occupancy Utilities Printing Pr t $ 219,615 $ 279,610 31 322 22,645 $ . 14,680 • ••••••••12.•016 • . . Insurance $ 1,971 • . .,.•:'Pastage.•:::,.,.,:•,:::::.'...,::..: ••••:. '.:,.. '. S. , , 1,052 •••• ,..„....,...,..„.,.„,:..., . '..,:,. - • • . , .•,.•,.. , PepreclatIon , $ 8,843 l.!'f?0#q#1.;i•]ii.,1.,. ',::.i•:,-.:,,',.',.,.,.]:-..,,,.,•••:,j$:::::,i91 754: .... ,,,,..,„,,:r.„,„„..,,..:,,,,,,........„,:„,,,,,,,,,,,„,, -„,...',..,,,,.:•::::..,':i:....,:. .:...... ' — :' -...,-, , --•••••••• • •' ' ' . . ........„..........,. .., ..... .................„.. . .... , ..... ,.. . ....„..... By mirlimizing administrative overhead and • alh This afocused on outcorrieCsoaunndcildirect oirethen a 90% of funding into prograrns. allows the organization to be financially T stablethe k even whengrantfunding vanes over time. One of components of this streamlined business model is shared administrative expenses with the Deschutes River Conservancy other expenses,th Watershed able to e • THANK YOW The Pelton Round Butte Fund • and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board provided a combined total of more than 74% of Watershed C01.111Cil funcling in 2008. Thank you for your continued support of IAudited finctri.Cic1.statenrterti,i..coiciii41e Cover photography by Matthew Maloney. Interior photography by Matthew Maloney, Kolleen Yoke, Ryan Houston, Mathias Perle, Lesley Jones, Kristine Senkier, Traci Price, Oregon Water Resources Oepartment