| Oregon Plan Stories |
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| Hood Basin |
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Central Canal Pipeline Project
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Construction of the “Central Canal Pipeline” middle segment(photo by Hood River Watershed Council)
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For the past 100 years, the East Fork Irrigation District (EFID) has used Neal Creek to convey 42 cubic feet per second (cfs) of irrigation water from the East Fork Hood River to the Eastside Lateral canal in order to serve orchards and farms in the lower east valley. Glacial silt from the East Fork Hood River is introduced into Neal Creek by the irrigation system, which impairs water quality. EFID has also operated an irrigation diversion dam on Neal Creek at river mile five with an outdated fish screen that fails to protect fish.
The Central Canal project is the Hood River Watershed Group’s number one restoration project priority. The first phase, the Neal Creek Inverted Siphon Project, involved construction of 1.3 miles of pipe to improve water quality and restore fish passage. Phase one also consisted of constructing a sediment and debris removal structure.
The first part of phase two, the construction of one half mile of ditch to pipe conversion was completed in 2004-2005. The second part of phase two was another half mile and was done in 2005-2006. The final phase, to be done in 2006-2008, will be two miles, for a total of 4.3 miles.
In June of 2006, EFID completed the last half of the middle phase of the new pipeline linking the Middle Valley to the Eastside Lateral. A total of 1.7 miles of 48-inch pipeline was installed to complete this $2.7 million project phase. Partners included the EFID, Hood River Watershed Group, OWEB, Bonneville Power Administration, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservations of Oregon, and many landowners.
When the third and final phase is completed in 2008, the entire project will have installed 4.55 miles of large diameter pipe, which will a) immediately return the lower 7.5 miles of Neal Creek to compliance with state water quality standards, b) open an additional 4.8 miles of habitat on Neal Creek for two ESA-listed fish species, and c) permanently conserve an estimated 3.44 cfs of East Fork Hood River water via the Oregon Water Resources Department Conserved Water Program.
Dry Creek Steelhead and Trout Habitat Restoration
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Photos by Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District
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Dry Creek, a tributary to Fifteenmile Creek, is home to redband trout, Pacific lamprey, and winter steelhead. A frequently used farm road crosses the stream many times over 6.5 miles. Most of Dry Creek is enrolled in the USDA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program riparian buffer program.
This project eliminated eleven stream fords and replaced ten with bridges and one with an open arch culvert. By eliminating these stream fords, the last major impacts on trout and steelhead habitat on Dry Creek have been eliminated.
Partners included the Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District, OWEB, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the landowner.
Ramsey Creek
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Ramsey Creek watershed
(photo by U.S. Forest Service)
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The Mt. Hood National Forest acquired 2,900 acres in the Fifteenmile and Ramsey Creek watersheds in the 1990s. Both watersheds are home to a rare run of Mid-Columbia winter steelhead, currently listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.
A major flood in the winter of 1997 severely degraded steelhead spawning and rearing habitat. Biologists undertook a major restoration project in the stream channel, floodplain, and adjacent upslope areas between 2000 and 2002. Restoration of the Ramsey Creek watershed targeted improving large and small game habitat, and threatened winter steelhead trout habitat.
The overall restoration goals for Ramsey Creek were to restore natural stream channel and floodplain function, improve the quality of spawning and rearing habitat for trout, reduce erosion from the valley-bottom road and streambanks, improve riparian vegetation species diversity and health, and allow non-motorized access into the area.
The project included improvements for large game, birds, and other wildlife. Improvements included conversion of a three mile motorized vehicle road to a three-mile non-motorized vehicle trail, and planting six acres of desirable native forage and nesting vegetation along the trail and in small open meadows. The project also included improvements for winter steelhead, including the addition of 1,200 logs in the stream and floodplain to improve fish habitat and restore natural stream and floodplain function, and the creation of deep pools that are important as resting areas and hiding cover from predators. In 2003 work included an under-burn of about 815 acres located on the south-facing slope of the Ramsey Creek watershed.
PacifiCorp Powerdale Dam Removal and Lands Transfer Project
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PacifiCorp’s Powerdale hydroelectric project dam on the lower Hood River, a significant fish passage barrier, will be decommissioned and reclaimed in 2010 with the assistance of the Hood River Watershed Group. |
The Hood River Watershed Group (HRWG) joined a number of federal and state agencies and other entities in a discussion with PacifiCorp in 2002 regarding possible alternatives to re-licensing the 70 year old dam and powerhouse facility on the lower Hood River. The watershed group’s reason for joining these talks was to arrive at a solution to identified fish passage problems at Copper Dam. Ultimately, these discussions led to the utility’s decision to decommission the Powerdale Hydroelectric Project in 2010.
While signing the eventual settlement agreement with PacifiCorp, the HRWG also became interested in helping the company arrange donation of the Powerdale corridor lands to an entity that would manage them for the long-term benefit of the community and watershed (i.e., fish and wildlife habitat, low-impact recreation, etc.). In 2006, the HRWG began actively working with PacifiCorp and other settlement agreement partners to solicit and select an entity willing to take over ownership and management of the 400 acres of corridor land, and also adopt a conservation easement that would dictate the future conservation of the lands.
A major HRWG accomplishment this year was establishing the membership and operating procedures of the Powerdale Lands Stakeholders group via two initial workshops. The Stakeholders also hosted a project tour and showing for seven potential “stewardship entities,” who have expressed interest in adopting ownership of the river corridor property. Ultimately, the Stakeholders are tasked with recommending a property grantee to PacifiCorp by December 31, 2009.
The 2005-2007 Biennial Report provides more information about accomplishments in each watershed basin.
Return to watershed basin map
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