Lower Columbia River and Columbia River Estuary Habitat Restoration Program

• Mission of the Estuary Partnership is to protect and enhance the lower Columbia River and estuary ecosystem

• Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) has series of actions directed at habitat protection and restoration

• This project will result in a coordinated, science-based habitat restoration program coordinated jointly by CREST and LCREP

Problem

• Loss of habitat identified as greatest threat to the integrity of lower river and estuary

• Diking, filling, shoreline armoring, dams, and urban development altered the river landscape

• Physical complexity such as shallow, dendritic channels and backwater sloughs diminished

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

Habitat Type

Acre

s

1870

1980

Source: Changes in Columbia River Estuary Habitat

Types(D.Thomas, 1983)

Historic Habitat Loss

• Juvenile salmonids need a complexity and a continuum of habitats for feeding, resting, and refuge

• Suitable lower river and estuary habitats are crucial to survival of subyearling chinook salmon listed under the ESA

Importance to Salmonids

Connection to Other Initiatives

• NWPPC subbasin planning

• Channel deepening

• Oregon and Washington salmon restoration programs

• BiOp RPA 159: “...develop a plan addressing habitat needs of salmon and steelhead in the estuary”

• BiOp RPA 160: “...develop and implement an estuary restoration program…”

Building on Existing Processes

• Estuary Partnership, in coordination with CREST and the Science Work Group, has established a foundation for a cooperative, consensus-based approach to ecosystem restoration in the estuary

• Good, productive working relationships with organizations currently involved in habitat restoration – CREST, Ducks Unlimited, Columbia Land Trust, USFW, Sea Resources, LCFRB, the Corps, etc.

The process has resulted in the following four significant accomplishments:

1. Maps -- Developing comprehensive habitat maps of lower river that can be used for planning purposes

2. Workshop -- Held a workshop on habitat conservation and restoration projects in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary -- Astoria June 12-13, 2001

3. Project Prioritization -- Developed a list of projects through the Science Work Group that meet the habitat criteria and are acceptable to all parties and agreed to work cooperatively to seek funding for these projects in the short term (Objective 2 below)

4. Strategic Approach -- Agreed to develop a strategic approach to protect and restore habitat in the lower river and estuary that is holistic in nature and based on sound science

Project Proposal

• Building on work completed to date, the project would institutionalize the habitat restoration program for the lower Columbia River and estuary and implement six habitat restoration projects identified by the Science Work Group.

• Thus, the project has two main objectives.

Objective 1: Establish a comprehensive, coordinated habitat

restoration program

• 1.1 Refine and expand the habitat restoration program envisioned in the CCMP and developed thus far by the Science Work Group

• 1.2 Develop program management infrastructure

• 1.3 Select projects

• 1.4 Develop project implementation guidelines• 1.5 Oversee implementation, monitor, evaluate, and

report results

Objective 2: Implement six priority habitat restoration projects

• West Sand Island – Restore tidal action to emergent wetland– 10 acres - $726,000– Status: ready to go

• Skipanon Slough– Return tidal flows to normal conditions– 30 acres - $300,000– Status: ready to go

• Grays Bay– Restore tidal flows and forest/marsh

communities, protect remaining spruce wetlands

– 1000 acres - $4,000,000– Status: Land acquisition and dike removal

• Channel Islands– Protect natural habitat and wetland restoration– 1,700 acres - $3,400,000– Status: Land acquisition, separate grant request

to acquire Crims Island

• Scappoose Bay Lowlands– Improve natural hydrology and restore natural

flows– 1,500 acres - $3,700,000– Status: Land acquisition

• Rooster Rock– Improve hydrology– 200 acres - $250,000– Status: nearly ready to go

Expected Products

• Program plan and management infrastructure

• Revised project selection-prioritization criteria

• Guidelines on habitat restoration

• Program M&E plan• Annual and quarterly

progress reports• 3 habitat projects

implemented and 3 developed