planning and combination (planning and acquisition ... web viewthis project will design restoration...

Planning and Combination (Planning and Acquisition) Project Proposal May 5, 2023

Planning and Combination (Planning and Acquisition) Project Proposal

Project Number

15-1153

Project Name Gold Creek Instream Habitat DesignSponsor Kittitas Conservation Trust

List all related projects previously funded or reviewed by RCO:Project # or Name Status

Status of Prior Phase Deliverables and Relationship to Current Proposal?

I-90 Expansion Project

Completed Mitigation sites in the lower Gold Creek Basin include expansion of the I-90 Bridge to 900 ft, restoration of 9 acres of wetland, 2 acres of stream channel, riparian zone re-vegetation within the footprint of the Right of way plus 27 acres of wetland preservation

#12-1306 In progressCompleted Assessment of current condition of Gold Creek and development of conceptual designs to address seasonal de-watering and habitat degradation.

USFS 4832 Bridge replacement

Applied or funded in other program

Expand the current bridge to 725 ft to span the floodplain of Gold Creek. Construction level designs have been completed.

WSDOT Acquisition

Completed Purchase of 550 riparian acres on the west side of lower Gold Creek in 2008

Forterra Acquisition

Completed Purchase 221 acres on the east side of lower Gold Creek in 2008

1. Project Location. The project location is in the Gold Creek basin, a head waters tributary to the upper Yakima River. Gold Creek originates in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and then flows into Lake Keechelus near Snoqualmie Pass in northern Kittitas County (WRIA 39). The Instream Design Project area extends from river mile (RM) 1.0 to approximately 2.1 of Gold Creek.

2. Brief Project Summary. The Gold Creek Instream Habitat Design Project advances the scientific findings produced from the “Gold Creek Habitat Assessment and Conceptual Design Project - #12-1306” into permit level preliminary habitat restoration designs that address degraded aquatic habitat conditions in Gold Creek (RM 1-2.5). Designs will focus on addressing areas that currently experience seasonal dewatering and channel destabilization. Subsequent final construction actions will benefit the genetically isolated, threatened Keechelus bull trout population. This project will design restoration actions that will reduce the duration and extents of seasonal dewatering in this reach of Gold Creek, restore natural fluvial functions of the creek, and work to develop acceptable alternative(s) restoring ground water gradients that have been compromised due to gravel mining at the Gold Creek Pond site. KCT has developed a phased approach that will utilize adaptive management


to achieve watershed scale restoration goals while minimizing negative impacts to Bull Trout and its critical habitat. Both instream degradation (channel widening and aggradation) and loss of ground water gradients (estimated at 10’ near the Gold Creek Pond) contribute to seasonal dewatering. Achieving the goal of restoring perennial flow will involve restoration actions instream and at the pond site. Currently spawning Bull Trout have migration to the headwaters interrupted and fish become stranded within the dewatered reach. Studies have shown that there can be as much as 64% mortality (Wissmar and Craig, 1997) of the adult spawning population of Bull Trout per year in the simplified channel when dewatering occurs. Increasing the duration of flowing water and number of deep pools with cover in the dewatered reach will increase the likelihood that fish will find pools to hold in as the creek dewaters, providing refugia from predation, and reduce mortality due to stranding.

3. Problems Statement. A. Describe the problem including the source and scale.

Gold Creek drains a 14.3 square mile (9,122 acre) watershed in the Cascade Mountain range, flowing for approximately 8 miles before entering Keechelus Lake near interstate 90. The drainage basin ranges from 2,507 to 6,933 feet above sea level with a total relief of 4,, 426 feet. The lower reach of Gold Creek (within project areaRM 0 – 3) is a low-gradient (1%), braided channel flowing through a broad, alluvial valley of highly-permeable sand and gravel. The average bankfull width in this reach is 160ft and valley width is 500 ft. Stream discharge measurements in lower Gold Creek range from 12.3 cfs in mid-August to 19.9 cfs in late September to a peak flow of 331 cfs in mid-June (Thomas, 2001). The Gold Creek drainage basin has experienced major human disturbances within Gold Creek valley beginning with early European settlement in the mid-late 1800’s including logging, mining, water storage, and residential, road, and railway development. These historic disturbances have altered natural fluvial processes and hydrologic conditions, resulting in degraded habitat conditions. The cumulative impacts have resulted in an over-widened channel that lacks instream complexity and cover. In recent years, channel dewatering in the lower reaches has been observed between mid-July and late September. The dewatered segment appears to have lengthened over time, adversely impacting bull trout migration and causing mortality due to stranding. Gold Creek is the largest watershed that feeds Keechelus Lake and is the only documented tributary that supports all life stages of bull trout. The bull trout that presently utilize Gold Creek are all that remain of a once abundant population native to the original, smaller, pre-dam Lake Keechelus. This population is one of a small number ofthree remaining historic populations of bull trout that were once abundant in the headwaters of the Upper Yakima Basin. Redd counts from 1984 to present have served as surrogate estimators for the spawning population and shown that the Keechelus bull trout is especially small, and has been for some time. Populations such as this are at high risk of extirpation.

B. List the fish resources present at the site and targeted by your project.

SpeciesLife History Present (egg, juvenile, adult)

Current Population Trend (decline, stable, rising)

Endangered Species Act Coverage (Y/N)


Bull Trout

Egg, juvenile and adult Decline Yes (1998)

Cutthroat Trout

Egg, juvenile and adult Stable No

Kokanee Egg, juvenile, and adult Stable No

C. Describe the limiting factors, and limiting life stages (by fish species) that your project expects to address.

Limiting factors identified for bull trout that this project will address are habitat degradation seasonaland seasonal channel dewatering and habitat degradation for all life stages of the Lake Keechelus bull trout.

4. Project Goals and Objectives. A. What are your project’s goals?

The primary goal of the project is to facilitate restoration of degraded bull trout habitat by creating Preliminary Design Plans for instream habitat improvements in the dewatered reach that encompasses 1.1 river miles of lower Gold Creek. Instream actions were determined to be the first phase of restoration actions identified in the assessment and conceptual design phase during numerous technical working group meetings and conversations with project partners and stakeholders. Companion Goals are:

Strengthen the viability of a genetically distinct population of threatened bull trout


Develop engineering documents leading to construction of instream improvements that will reverse the trend of ecosystem degradation and restore natural fluvial processes to maintain benefits over time

Translate fundamental watershed assessment findings into plans and specifi-cations for on-the-ground actions that benefit populations of salmonids and Bull Trout using natural fluvial processes

A companion goal of the project is to work with stakeholders on alternatives to restore historic ground water gradients that are influenced by Gold Creek Pond. Conceptual designs provided from the assessment phase involve complete filling of the pond and restoration of the historic wetland mosaic. This option may or may not be the best alternative due to the large scale and cost. There are other options that were not fully vetted due to funding and time constraints. KCT included in this funding request to continue to meet with project partners and stakeholders to determine the most cost effective and efficient alternatives for restoring ground water gradients. Gold Creek Pond is recognized as a high value recreational site to the landowner and their partners and will take more time to fully develop reasonable actions that will address this restoration objective.

B. What are your project’s objectives? This priority project was strategically identified as the next step to minimize impacts to this sensitive population of Bull Trout and its critical habitat during construction activities. Objectives that improve conditions for all life stages of bull trout will be expressed in the Preliminary Design work products: The over-widened, simplified channel is a major contributor to seasonal dewatering by increasing aggradation, raising bed elevations, and expanding infiltration area limiting surface water availability. Actions to rehabilitate the dewatered reach include:

Narrow the active channel to historic widths using over 50 large wood struc-tures to develop a stabilized channel

Increase wood loading and frequency of log jams creating habitat deeper pools with complex cover to reduce mortality from predation and stranding during periods of dewateringity

Create hardened stable floodplains for reestablishment of riparian forests for future large wood recruitment and maintenance of stable channel flow paths

Introduce channel complexityo Hydraulic complexity (fast, slow, deep, shallow water in close proxim-

ity) (water flowing in multiple directions due to deflections and eddies)o Sediment distribution complexity (increasing the range of sediment

sizes for a given area and increasing spawning gravel availability) (de-posits of large and small sediment deposits in close proximity)

o Greater pool frequency and deptho Restore historic anabranching channel

Increase the number of alternative flow pathsside channel connectivity through the project reach to disperse energy and water to the western flood-plain during high flow events (2 - 5 year)

o Maintaining narrower channel widths and instream improvements by reducing shear stress and partitioning of flow


o F lood flows will be reengaged with the western floodplain to replenish groundwater gradients locally that will increase baseflow during peri-ods of dewatering

o Provide protection from floods and bank erosion for private properties on the eastern valley floodplain

Create 12 stable islands within the active channel and vegetatechannel to partition flow, reducing shear stress along channel banks, limiting channel migration (widening) and maintaining narrow channel flow paths with native plant species

Determine alternatives to restore historic ground water gradients that have been drastically altered at the Gold Creek Pond site

C. What are the assumptions and constraints that could impact whether you achieve your objectives?

The scale of the Gold Creek bull trout restoration project is large and the pathway to success is lengthy. Watershed scale actions are required to address the scope of habitat degradation documented in the supporting Assessment & Conceptual Design documents.

Funding for designs and construction is not yet in place Public acceptance of the project is necessary for success. Sponsor has

been working with project stakeholders and landowners to communicate the results of assessment documents, conceptual designs and goals for restoration of the lower Gold Creek valley.

The importance of collaboration and communication with a diverse pool of partners to strategically phase this watershed restoration project to minimize negative impacts to Bull Trout and its critical habitat.

5. Project Details. A. Provide a narrative description of your proposed project.

This planning and design project will produce the full range of preliminary/permit level (60%) engineering designs, exhibits and details for approximately 50 engineered log jams and excavation of 3,000 ft of new to connect side channels at higher flow conditions, and creation of 11.65 acres of hardened stable floodplains within the over widened, unstable channel of in Gold Creek (RM 1-2.1). This is a large scale restoration project that includes high levels of collaboration and complexity to successfully plan and design. These actions were derived from conceptual designs produced from previous assessment project. The preliminary design phase will help to determine appropriate scale and intensity of restoration actions that will effectively minimize impacts to Bull Trout, meet habitat objectives, and determine efficiencies to keep construction costs down. Project deliverables include:

Evaluation of concept designs and feasibility Preliminary project designs (60%, permit level plans and specifications) Hydrologic and Hydraulics Memo and Risk Assessment Memo

The engineering and project design will be informed by the recent scientific studies (Gold Creek Habitat Assessment and Conceptual Design Project #12-1306) and analyses pertinent to developing effective and durable instream structures:


Site reconnaissance and topographical surveys of the project reach Hydraulic modeling coupled with geomorphic assessments and analyses Stakeholder presentations, permit support, and regulatory agency comments Project management, administration, and document productions

Restoration designs will detail and expand on existing conceptual designs for the project area.

B. Provide a scope of work. The project will produce preliminary (30%) and permit level (60%) designs for hardened stabilized floodplain construction, excavation of new channel flow paths, engineered large wood structures, and revegatation to enhance habitat within the project reach of Gold Creek. Project deliverables include:

Preliminary/Permit Level pProject dDesigns (plans, and specifications, and cost estimate)

The design process will be informed by extensive scientific studies and analyses pertinent to developing effective and durable instream structures:

Site reconnaissance and topographical surveys of the project reach Hydraulic modeling coupled with geomorphic assessments and analyses Risk Assessment Stakeholder presentations, permit support, and regulatory agency comments Project management, administration, and document production.

C. Explain how you determined your cost estimates.KCT has worked through the estimated project budget with its consulting engineer (NSD) and the budget worksheet is attached in PRISM. The project costs have been revised downward by eliminating a site kickoff meeting (to take place at NSD offices) and a reduction of the number of stakeholder meetings NSD attends. Current budget reflects the length of reach to be included in the project area (1.1 miles), involvedness of working with multiple stakeholders (State, Federal, and Private), complexity of the project area in a high energy system, minimizing risks to Bull Trout and its habitat, and evaluation and mitigation of risks due to flooding and erosion to protect existing private property and infrastructure. Final design is expected to cost $17,300 upon completion of preliminary designs and deliverable will include 100% final design drawings, cost estimate, specifications, and design report. KCT cannot determine construction cost estimates because conceptual level designs did not fully develop specific project elements. The concepts will likely be changed or modified during the preliminary design phase. Currently conceptual designs establish a suite of instream restoration actions that will reverse degradation and allow for natural fluvial processes to be reestablished. During the preliminary design phase KCT will determine, along with project partners and stakeholders, the appropriate measures that will achieve rehabilitation of instream processes most efficiently and effectively.

D. How have lessons learned from completed projects or monitoring studies informed your project?

KCT has extensive experience developing and completing large scale restoration projects, from concept development to implementation and performance


monitoring. Ensuring that sound science informs the restoration strategy is essential to project success. Early and continued contact with stakeholders garners their support for restoration actions that express their vision while simultaneously meeting habitat objectives. Assessment of on the ground conditions to verify that modeling and designs fit the needs for the site helps to address potential problems prior to implementation.

6. If your project includes an assessment or inventory A. Describe any previous or ongoing assessment or inventory

work in your project’s geographic area and how this project will build upon, rather than duplicate, the completed work.

KCT compiled a data inventory and data gap analysis (NSD, 2013) by researching, organizing, and inventorying all available information and studies for Gold Creek as a first step of the Habitat Assessment and Conceptual Design Project. At the final Technical Work Group meeting meetingthis project, instream restoration actions werewas designated a high priority action for strategically moving improving flow and habitat conditions for Bbull Ttrout habitat restoration forward in the Yakimain the Gold Creek basin while minimizing impacts.

7. If your project includes developing a design:A. Will your project be designed by a licensed professional

engineer?Yes

i. If not, please describe the qualifications of your design team.

8. Will you apply for permits as part of this project’s scope?Yes

A. If not, please explain why and when you will submit permits.

9. If your project includes a fish passage or screening design: N/A 10.Context within the Local Recovery Plan.

A. Discuss how this project fits within your regional recovery plan and/or local lead entity’s strategy to restore or protect salmonid habitat

The Yakima Bull Trout Action Plan (Reiss et. al., 2012) has recommended actions for the restoration of bull trout habitat in Gold Creek that will be addressed in this project phase:

1. Conduct comprehensive hydrogeomorphic evaluation in lower Gold Creek to determine the causal mechanisms (and possible solutions) for annual dewa-tering. This was completed by KCT in 2015. Implement solutions if deter-mined feasible.

2. Gold Creek Floodplain Restoration3. Outreach on bull trout conservation issues

Further elements include continued monitoring of baseline data including temperature, flow, dewatered extents, redd counts, and project success.


B. Explain why it is important to do this project now instead of later.

In 1998 the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed the entire upper Columbia River distinct population of bull trout (including the Gold Creek population) as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act. The genetically isolated bull trout that presently utilize Gold Creek are all that remain of a once abundant population native to the original, smaller, pre-dam Lake Keechelus. Redd counts from 1984 to present show that this population is especially small and has been for some time, putting them at high risk of extirpation. Instream habitat restoration designs could be constructed prior to other floodplain restoration actions (i.e. Gold Creek Pond actions) and has been prioritized to minimize adverse impacts to this sensitive population of Bbull Ttrout by timing implementation during periods of dewatering. Construction windows will also rely on dewatering to keep costly care of water measures down during implementation. Degraded stream structure (over-widened, simplified channel, increased infiltration area, and aggradation) in the project reach is a significant contributor to seasonal extents of dewatering. It is unclear at this time what other factors (i.e. climate change) will reduce the effectiveness of simply restoring Gold Creek Pond. Instream restoration actions proposed will rehabilitate natural fluvial process to reduce the size and scale of dewatering and increase base flows. This integral priority action plays an important role to restoration of perennial flow as we enter the uncertainty of a changing climate to benefit this threatened population of Bull Trout. The proposed instream design project will harness current momentum gained from the previous assessment work and is expected to that has generated enthusiasm from partners, stakeholders, and landowners. This is a project that is within KCT’s wheelhouse and has successfully implemented similar size, scale, and scoped projects in the past.

C. If your project is a part of a larger overall project or strategy, describe the goal of the overall strategy, explain individual sequencing steps, and which of these steps is included in this application for funding.

The larger recovery strategy includes restoration of anadromous fish populations with passage into the three upper Yakima reservoirs (Cle Elum, Kachess, and Keechelus) and their corresponding tributary watersheds. Ecosystem improvements and habitat benefits from this project for bull trout will also be available for anadromous fish upon completion of Lake Keechelus fish passage. Gold Creek provides 7 of the 14 miles of stream habitat in the Lake Keechelus tributary system that is available to resident fish, and anadromous salmonids. An additional objective of fish passage at Keechelus dam is to provide two-way passage for resident bBull tTrout to restore genetic connectivity between landlocked adfluvial populations in the storage reservoirs and fluvial bull trout that reside downstream of the dams. This bBull tTrout population has been identified as a high priority “action” population. The highest priority action for Keechelus Bull Trout is a hydrologic assessment and subsequent restoration project(s) to reconnect dewatered sections of the stream, which now strands fish and prevents access to upstream spawning grounds.This Gold Creek Instream Habitat Design project was developed as a result of KCT’s previous assessment and conceptual designs project (2013-2015). The strategy for


designing instream habitat restoration for the project reach was derived from comments received from 4 Technical Working Group (TWG) meetings and other individuals as outlined below.

Leverage the current momentum generated from the assessment and con-ceptual design project

Implementation of restoration actions in the dewatered reach of Gold Creek during dewatered periods will minimize adverse impacts to this sensitive pop-ulation of bull trout during construction activities

Proposed construction windows will be designated during periods of dewater-ing, limiting the need for expensive Temporary Erosion & Sediment Control and care of water measures

Ensure that perennial flow is maintained during this period of changing cli-mates by restoring natural fluvial processes, reducing streambed surface area and limiting surface water infiltration, reengaging adjacent wetlands and floodplains to increase baseflow, and provide adequate protection from floods for private property owners in the project reach

Leverage project investment to advance identify and advance other identify-fied criticalother critical restoration measures (measures (USFS Bridge, Gold Creek Pondit Restoration, etc.)

Restoration actions will reduce channel dewatering extents and duration thereby, increasing the number of holding pools with cover within the chan-nel during dewatered periods

Other identified restoration actions (Gold Creek Pit Restoration, USFS 4832 Bridge Expansion) require more time for planning, building stakeholder sup-port, and significant funding to implement

11.Project Proponents and Partners. Please answer the following questions about your organization and others involved in the project.

A. Describe your experience managing this type of project. KCT has successfully implemented 18 restoration, passage and acquisition projects in the 13 years since its formation. Previous restoration projects on the lower Cle Elum River required coordination with two separate landowners, management of grant funds from six sources, and administration of four contracts. KCT has successfully completed a two year assessment and conceptual design project (#12-1306) in Gold Creek and has coordinated these efforts with the associated landowners and stakeholders. KCT is well aware of the issues, stakeholders, landowners, and other proponents that will need to be at the table as we move this large scale project forward. The goal of getting engagement and consistency from all landowners and agency proponents will take time and a measured approach to determine actions that will deliver on the ground benefits while minimizing impacts to Bull Trout.Founded in 2003, Natural Systems Design has designed over 200 river restoration projects, 30% of which were design/build projects utilizing large wood for instream habitat features. For the past 7 years, the Natural Systems Design team has worked with KCT on similar projects and has extensive experience on the Yakima and other large rivers in Kittitas County.

B. List all landowner names.


US Forest Service Washington State DOT Forterra Barrett Robertson Carl Menconi et al Ski Tur Valley Maintenance Association

C. List project partners and their roles and contributions to the project.

US BoR – Environmental ReviewUSFWS – Technical Support, Environmental Review, and Funding of Assessment PhaseUSFS – PermittingWDFW – Technical and Permit Assistance

D. Stakeholder Outreach. Elements of the conceptual designs have met with various levels of acceptance. Some controversy is related to the restoration proposals for the Gold Creek Pit (Pond) and Heli’s Pond. The instream habitat restoration elements have proven to be generally well received. It is recognized that the project will require more input and involvement from individual landowners inside of the Ski Tur Community. KCT is committed to engage all landowners to realize full support of the final designs and on the ground action items that will benefit threatened Bull Trout. Engineering will incorporate appropriate levels of protection of private properties found on the east (left bank) of Gold Creek. This will be accomplished by modeling existing and proposed flow conditions at base, 10 year and 100 year flood events to inform de-signs. A “Risk Assessment Memo” will be produced that addresses other potential public safety concerns. There is currently no recreational boating and Gold Creek is closed to fishing. KCT has held 4 TWG and numerous 11 stakeholder meetings associated with the as-sessment and conceptual design phase of the project. Below is a list of stakehold-ers and communication and outreach to date.USFS - Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (owner) Cle Elum Ranger Dis-trict

Involved in TWG meetings and held small meetings for project specific per-mitting, etc.

USFS - Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (Administrator) North Bend Ranger District

Involved in TWG meetings and held local meetings for project specific permit-ting and updates

United States Fish and Wildlife Service Involved in TWG meetings Provided funding support for Assessment Project, progress reporting Meet in field to discuss assessment project and gather information Email communication between principal engineers and staff hydrologist/geo-

morphologistUnited States Bureau of Reclamation


Involved in TWG meetings NEPA process through the K to K pipe and K DRIP EIS

Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Involved in TWG meetings Meet in field to discuss assessment project and gather information

Washington State Department of Transportation Involved in TWG meetings Presented project update (assessment) to IDT Meeting for I-90 Expansion

ProjectWashington State Department of Ecology

Involved in TWG meetings The Yakama Nation

Involved in TWG meetings Forterra

Meet with to discuss assessment project (permitting) and to discuss resulting conceptual designs and garner support as a landowner

Continued ongoing contact after conceptual designs went public.Ski Tur Valley Maintenance Association

Meet with at annual meeting to discuss assessment project and provided up-dates

Other Private Property Owners (Parcels outside Ski Tur Valley Development, Etc.)

Invited to TWG Meeting #4 with 3 in attendance Meet with STVMA at a special meeting on April 18, 2015

Conservation Northwest – Contact Jen Watkins Involved in meetings sponsored by Conservation Northwest – Upper Yakima

Watershed Action Group and provided updates of assessment project and conceptual designs

Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust Meet with them and presented project on various levels and at different

meetings

Comments

Use this section to respond to the comments you will receive after your initial site visits, and then again after you submit your final application.

Response to Site Visit Comments

1. To better understand the potential benefits to Bull Trout, please describe how the islands will be utilized, and clarify the project definition of channel complexity.

Stable islands within the active channel will partition flow, reducing shear stress along channel banks, limiting channel migration (widening) and maintaining narrow channel flow paths

2. A more direct connection with the project actions and the specific needs of bull trout would be helpful.


This project is the first a phase of restoration actions that will increase habitat complexity, restore fluvial functions, and address seasonal dewatering within this reach of Gold Creek. Bull Trout utilize this reach of the creek to migrate to spawning grounds, provide habitat for rearing juveniles, and allow migrating juveniles to reach Lake Keechelus.

3. Land owners presented concerns on site about the project design. It would be nice to have a support letter from the landowners which identifies the issues and how they will be resolved early in the design process.

KCT is diligently working with private landowners located on the eastern valley of Gold Creek. We have requested a letter to identify concerns and issues, but have not received one as of this point. KCT has offered to meet with the STVMA and individual landowners to document their concerns and issues prior to beginning the preliminary design phase to incorporate their issues into project designs. KCT will be scheduling a meeting with the STVMA, US Beauru of Reclaimation, and US Fish and Wildlife Service in early/mid July to continue to develop support and collaboration.

4. A map of locations of spawning by bull trout as compared to the project area would be helpful.

A map is located in the narrative body of the proposal.

5. The Gold Creek Pond has been identified as a project element that is going to be dealt with in the future, but it seems as if the actions are out of sequence. Recognizing that there may be benefits from the project, it seems like the pond issue should be addressed more directly in the project application.

The Pond is a cause of seasonal dewatering, so is the degraded channel conditions found within the dewatered reach. This phase was strategically prioritized to minimize impacts to Bull Trout during construction, restore fluvial processes, decrease streambed surface area to reduce infiltration, and increase baseflow conditions. It is important to look at this proposal as the first phase to address a suite of disturbances that have created the conditionss that currently degrade Gold Creek and impair critical life stages of Bull Trout.

Response to Post-Application CommentsPlease describe how you’ve responded to the review panel’s post-application comments. We recommend that you list each of the review panel’s comments and questions and identify how you have responded. You also may use this space to respond directly to their comments.

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