PDF download links for current and past annual reports:
2023 Annual Implementation Report
2022 Annual Implementation Report
2021 Annual Implementation Report
2020 Annual Implementation Report
2019 Annual Implementation Report
2018 Annual Implementation Report
2017 Annual Implementation Report
2016 Annual Implementation Report
Introduction
This 2023 Annual Implementation Report summarizes work accomplished in the Upper Columbia Region and documents progress toward recovery of ESA-listed steelhead and spring Chinook salmon stocks. The 2007 Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan (Recovery Plan) envisions an approach to the recovery of Upper Columbia spring Chinook salmon and steelhead populations. This requires comprehensive efforts across geographic boundaries and the four management sectors, often called the “Four Hs” of salmon recovery. These efforts include restoring degraded Habitat, addressing causes of mortality in the Hydropower system and migration corridor, mitigating the influence of fish Hatcheries on wild populations, and managing Harvest at sustainable levels.
This 2023 Annual Implementation Report includes information on environmental conditions in ESA-listed Upper Columbia salmon and steelhead habitats and provides a general overview of hydropower, hatchery, and harvest, and how these factors are affecting listed populations. The annual summary of actions taken to restore and protect habitat in the Upper Columbia highlights the local efforts made toward the recovery of viable Upper Columbia spring Chinook salmon and steelhead populations.
The 2023 report concludes the four-year reporting period, from 2020-2023. Please see the executive summary for highlights on the implementation progress and habitat conditions over the four-year period. In addition, the four-year project table (Appendix A) and each previous annual report (2020, 2021, and 2022 in Appendix B) are included in the Appendices. The entirety of this report was approved by the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board of Directors on February 20, 2025.
Adult Returns
Spawner escapement estimates describe the numbers of adult Chinook salmon and steelhead returning to the Upper Columbia region. Specific methods used to generate these estimates differ among populations. The estimated number of spawning spring Chinook salmon is based on redd count data, with corrections applied to account for estimates of fish per redd, sex ratios, and hatchery-to-natural-origin ratios, depending on available data for individual populations. Since 2010, population-level steelhead spawner escapement rates have been estimated from a PIT-tag based model for each primary population in the Upper Columbia (Hillman et. al. 2024).
An estimated 1,082 natural-origin Upper Columbia spring Chinook salmon returned to spawning grounds in 2023 (WDFW 2024). This is the lowest natural-origin spring Chinook numbers in the last three years, although still elevated above the low numbers in 2017-2020. The 12-year geometric mean of 993 remains well below the delisting abundance target of 4,500 naturally produced spawners. The estimated return of hatchery-origin spawners was 1,281, for a combined estimate of 2,363 spring Chinook spawners in the region. This is 47% lower than last year’s total spring Chinook spawners in the region (Figure 1). Both natural-origin and total spawners were down in 2023 compared to 2022 across the region. There were an estimated 122 natural-origin spawners in the Entiat River (154 total including hatchery-origin fish), 268 in the Methow River (714 total), and 692 in the Wenatchee River (1,495 total).
Estimated natural-origin Upper Columbia steelhead spawners numbered 1,250, which was greater than last year (2022) but lower than the two years before 2022. This estimate was below the 12-year geometric mean of 1,680 and well below the delisting abundance target of 3,000 naturally produced spawners. The return of hatchery-origin spawners was estimated at 2,373, which sums to 3,623 total spawners in the region. Total spawners in 2023 was greater than in 2022. Three of the four sub-basins saw increases in both natural-origin and total spawners relative to last year, with Wenatchee natural-original spawners being the exception (Figure 1). Estimates of natural-origin (total spawners) steelhead in 2022 were 235 (354 total) in the Entiat River, 541 (2323 total) in the Methow River, 317 (453 total) in the Wenatchee River, and 157 (493 total) in the Okanogan River.
Figure 1. Upper Columbia spring Chinook salmon and steelhead returns (left axis) between 2000-2023 for natural-origin (colored bars) and hatchery-origin (gray bars) fish and percent hatchery-origin spawners (right axis; light gray fill) by year. The black line indicates the 12-year geometric mean of natural-origin spawners, and the dashed line is the abundance delisting target for natural-origin fish. Note the difference in axes among plots and a break in the y-axis for Methow Chinook salmon and steelhead, and Okanogan steelhead. Source: WDFW 2024 SPI data.
Habitat Conditions in 2023
Snowpack and Streamflow
The winter of 2023 (November 2022 through March 2023) across the Upper Columbia had slightly colder than average temperatures and roughly average precipitation. The 2023 winter was a weak La Niña period with an Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) anomaly of -0.6 °F (NOAA 2024a). La Niña years typically produce wetter and cooler winters in the Pacific Northwest. In 2023 the winter was cooler than average, and precipitation was a mix of above and below normal. Winter (November – March) temperatures in Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties were 2.4 to 3.8 °F below normal (NOAA 2024b) and winter temperatures at snow measurement sites were 2.2 °F below normal (NRCS 2024). Winter precipitation was 13% above normal in Douglas County, 1% below normal in Okanogan County, and 13% below normal in Chelan County (NOAA 2024b). Similar to 2022, summer brought warmer than average temperatures and below average precipitation. The June – August temperature ranged from 2.9 °F to 3.3 °F above normal in all three counties. Although the region receives most of its precipitation outside of the summer months, 2023 was particularly dry with the June – August precipitation being 15% to 41% below normal across the three counties. Finally, due to the warmer summer, across the entire calendar year of 2023, the air temperature was 1.4 °F to 1.7 °F above normal across the region. For the calendar year of 2023, precipitation was 13% to 22% below normal in each of the counties across the region (NOAA 2024b).
The snowpack, relative to an average year, was mostly above average. Contrary to the last four years, across the seven representative USDA SNOTEL sites, the average peak snowpack was 11% above normal (NRCS 2024, Figure 2). In contrast, the last four years had below average peak snowpack. Due to the greater than average snowpack, the peak snowpack was eight days later than normal peak snowpack day across all seven sites. However, due to May being 6.4 °F and 7.2 °F warmer in Chelan and Okanogan counties respectively, the average day of disappearance was six days earlier than average, or May 19th. This was 13 days earlier than 2022.
Peak flows across the Upper Columbia were on average 38% above normal due to both greater than average snowpack and the warm May causing rapid melt (USGS 2024). This was most pronounced in the Methow where the Twisp River had a 10-year flood event which allowed a Yakama Nation and Colville Confederated Tribe logjam project on U.S. Forest Service land completed the previous fall to be particularly geomorphically active and engage larger portions of the Twisp River floodplain. Average low flow ranged from 5% above average in the Twisp to 41% below normal in the Wenatchee River (USGS 2024). The Okanogan, Chiwawa, and Entiat rivers also had low flows 17% to 31% below average. This below average streamflow is likely due to the rapid snowmelt onset and warm and dry summer. Due to lower than average low flows and a warmer than average summer, all five stream temperature monitoring sites measured above average peak 7-day water temperature. This ranged from 0.05 °F to 3.6 °F above the historic 7-day maximum water temperature (USGS 2024). The Methow River near Pateros had the highest temperature above average, measuring 3.6 °F above average, followed by the Similkameen River at 2.4 °F above average and the Okanogan River at 2.1 °F above average. Although the Methow River had the greatest above average peak stream temperature at 76.6 °F, the hottest stream temperature was measured on the Okanogan River at 77.9 °F. The peak Columbia River summer water temperature was 1.5 °F and 2.0 °F above average below Wells Dam and Rocky Reach Dam, respectively. (Columbia River DART 2024).
Upper Columbia peak flows averaged 38% above normal.
Columbia River summer water temperatures peaked at 2.0°F above average below Rocky Reach Dam.
Figure 2. Map of the four major Upper Columbia River subbasins showing the location of SNOWTEL sites where snow-water equivalent is assessed (circles) and USGS stream gages where flow is measured (triangles). The color ramp indicates the percent difference from annual average for each of the two measurements. Source: NRCS 2024, USGS 2024.
Wildfire
Wildfire is a major driver of aquatic habitat in the Upper Columbia and has the potential to both degrade habitat through large amounts of fine sediment and loss of riparian shading, or to improve habitat by increased streamflow and large wood additions from downed trees. According to the NWCC (2024) annual report, the 2023 wildfire season was moderate to mild. The only significant wildfire along salmonid bearing streams was the Eagle Bluff fire, which burned 16,400 acres roughly half of which were in Canada, west of Osoyoos. The fire burned along approximately 2 miles of the Similkameen River below Enloe dam and about 5 more river miles above the dam. This fire primarily burned grass and sagebrush along the Similkameen River, and because it was relatively low intensity, it is expected to have a smaller impact on water quality. Also in Okanogan County, the Crater Creek fire burned 4,800 acres in the Pasayten Wilderness in the Chewuch drainage, roughly 10 miles upstream of where the UCSRB reach network begins in the Chewuch River. Finally, the Airplane Lake Fire burned 7,000 acres, including along the White River to roughly 3 miles upstream of the UCSRB reach network on the White River.
Ocean Conditions
Ocean conditions for salmonid in 2023 showed a slight improvement compared to 2022 but remained significantly poorer than those in 2021 (NOAA 2024b). Across 16 ocean ecosystem indicators used by NOAA to summarize ocean conditions for juvenile salmonid survival in the ocean, 2023 conditions ranked as the eleventh in the 26-year time series (Figure 3). Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions were opposite in 2023, PDO was a negative or cool phase, and ENSO started in a negative phase but quickly shifted to a positive or warm phase. Negative or cool phases for PDO and ENSO typically bring cooler ocean temperatures, more upwelling, and better ocean conditions for salmonid productivity. This is partly why the overall ocean conditions were neither strongly good or bad (Figure 3). Surface ocean temperatures were slighly above average while upper 20-m temperatures were below average. Furthermore, the upwelling index was positive, indicating that more nutrient-rich deep ocean water was brought to the surface, boosting productivity. As a result, the copepod and ichthyoplankton biomass was average or above average over the entire year. Zooplankton are a critical species for salmonid survival in the ocean and upwelling brings cool water and nutrients that enhance zooplankton productivity. Therefore, in weak upwelling years, zooplankton productivity is reduced, which impact salmonid survival. Lastly, Chinook salmon juvenile catch was below average, which could bode poorly for future adult spring Chinook returns.
Scientists believe the greatest impact of ocean conditions on salmonids is during their first year in the ocean. As a result, the impact of ocean conditions on returning adult salmonids may be delayed for several years because the number of years spent in the ocean varies among species, populations, and individual fish. The poor ocean conditions in 2015-2019 likely contributed to lower numbers of salmon and steelhead returning to the Upper Columbia in recent years. Conversely the uptick in spring Chinook and steelhead adult returns in the last three or four years may reflect improved ocean conditions in 2020-2022. Conditions in 2021 were particularly good for populations that migrate along the continental shelf toward the Gulf of Alaska, including Upper Columbia spring Chinook salmon. This is one likely cause for 2020-2023 having elevated spring Chinook returns as compared to 2015-2019. Conversley for steelhead, 2021 offshore sea surface temperatures were less favorable, which could have contriubted to steelhead returns not rebounding as strongly as Spring Chinook after 2019 (Figure 1).
Figure 3. Ocean ecosystem indicators of the Northern California Current from 1998-2023. Colored squares indicate either positive (green), neutral (yellow), or negative (red) conditions for salmonids entering the ocean.
Harvest
Harvest of salmon and steelhead in tributaries to the Columbia River is managed by the state of Washington and tribal fishery managers to limit impacts on ESA-listed species. In 2023, recreational fisheries occurred upstream of Priest Rapids Dam for Upper Columbia summer Chinook, sockeye, and coho salmon. All wild Chinook and wild steelhead were required to be released (ODFW & WDFW 2024). Additionally, there was a limited spring Chinook salmon fishery on Icicle Creek in 2023 targeting unlisted, hatchery-origin spring Chinook salmon.
Harvest of Upper Columbia spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead occurred primarily in the mainstem Columbia River below the confluence of the Snake River. Under the U.S. v. Oregon Management Agreement, fisheries in this area are managed in accordance with an agreed-upon harvest rate schedule. In 2023, an estimated 2,836 wild spring Chinook entered the Columbia River destined for the Upper Columbia, and a hatchery and natural (wild) origin fish combined total of 24,917 (including from the Chief Joseph hatchery). The estimated number of wild fish taken by non-treaty wild harvest was 26 (0.9% of the wild run) and treaty harvest through ceremonial and subsistence (C&S) fisheries accounted for 242 fish (8.5% of the run). An estimated 715 (25.2%) Upper Columbia wild spring Chinook salmon died from various causes during migration or failed to pass Rock Island Dam, for an estimated escapement of 1,843 (65% of initial wild run) at Rock Island Dam (ODFW & WDFW 2024). Data for 2023 upriver summer steelhead are not currently available.
See more information on harvest in the UCSRB Harvest Background Summary.
Hydrosystem Survival
Salmon and steelhead from Upper Columbia populations migrate through the Columbia River hydrosystem during their emigration to the ocean as juveniles and again as adults returning to their stream of origin. Survival during migration may be influenced by environmental conditions and operations associated with the dams and reservoirs encountered prior to ocean entry and upon return up the Columbia River. In contrast to 2022, the 2023 water year was below average streamflow on the mainstem Columbia River, resulting in a runoff volume of 24% below average (1991-2020) at both Grand Coulee and The Dalles Dam (DeHart, 2024). Seasonal spring migration flow targets were not met at Priest Rapids dam, due to lower than average total flow. However, spring migration flow targets were met at McNary Dam. Like 2020 to 2022, summer spill was curtailed in 2023 on August 15 (DeHart, 2024). Juvenile salmon and steelhead encounters with powerhouses are detrimental to their survival. An increased portion of the flow through spill reduces juvenile encounters with powerhouses. Due to below average flow, spring and early summer spill (April 15 – June 30) was lower than last year at Wells Dam and Rocky Reach Dam. The percentage of April 15 through May 31 spill in the four Lower Columbia River dams has risen steadily since the early 2000s, but in 2023 spill was slightly below the peak of 54% of flow in 2022 (McCann et al. 2024).
Despite the improved spill since the early 2000s, fish travel times and overall salmon and steelhead survival have not distinctly increased. This is based on juvenile survival estimates through the hydrosystem by the National Marine Fisheries Service for hatchery-origin Upper Columbia spring Chinook and steelhead. Since these fish are all hatchery origin, Upper Columbia release sites include Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, Chief Joseph Fish Hatchery, Wells Hatchery, Methow Hatchery, Winthrop National Fish Hatchery, Chiwawa Hatchery, Entiat Hatchery, and several other acclimation sites in the Upper Columbia. The 2024 Fish Passage Center annual report did not include updated 2023 travel time estimates. As the previous UCSRB annual report indicated, steelhead travel time estimates from Rocky Reach to McNary dam were average in 2022, while spring Chinook fish travel time over the same section were below (faster than) average (DeHart et al., 2023). Fish travel times from McNary to Bonneville for steelhead and spring Chinook were average in 2022 (McCann et al., 2024). The survival of natural-origin Upper Columbia spring Chinook and steelhead is not assessed. For hatchery yearling Chinook salmon, the survival estimate from release sites to Bonneville Dam was 43.6%, which is the lowest since the Recovery Plan and second lowest since ESA listing (Figure 4, Widener et al. 2024). This historically low juvenile Chinook survival rate is primarily caused by the low survival from Release to McNary dam, which was the second lowest survival estimate on record. Survival from McNary dam to Bonneville dam also declined from the 2022 to 74% in 2023, which is below the average from 2008 to 2023 of 80%. In contrast estimated survival of hatchery steelhead from release to Bonneville dam was 32% in 2023, which is the highest since 2018 and greater than the 2008 to 2023 average of 29%. The increased survival rate for steelhead across the hydrosystem is due to improved survival rates in the two primary estimation segments: an increased survival from 2022 of 34% along release to McNary dam segment and an increased survival of 94% as compared to 2022 for the McNary dam to Bonneville dam segment (Figure 4, Widener et al. 2024). The McNary to Bonneville survival estimate of 94% was well above the 2008 to 2023 average of 76% and the highest since 2017.
The Comparative Survival Study (CSS) evaluates hydropower survival over time and includes estimates of survival for wild spring Chinook and steelhead (McCann et al., 2024 CSS). The most recent smolt-to-adult return (SAR) survival estimate for wild spring Chinook (combining the Entiat and Methow populations) is from the 2022 migration year. It shows a survival rate of 0.8% from Rocky Reach Dam to Bonneville Dam (RRE-BOA), which is slightly below the average of 0.85% and the lowest recorded since 2019. (McCann et al. 2024). The estimate for wild steelhead (Okanogan River or Columbia Mainstem above Wells Dam) at the same points for the 2021 juvenile migration year was 1.02% (12-year geometric mean = 1.99%). Each of these SAR estimates fell below the target rate of 2%-6% defined by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (McCann et al., 2024 CSS).
See more information on harvest in the UCSRB Hydropower Background Summary
Figure 4. Estimated rates of survival (points) and standard errors (small black lines with cross bars) through the Columbia River hydropower system for hatchery-origin yearling Chinook salmon (left column, green dots) and steelhead (right column, blue dots) originating in the upper Columbia River, 2008-2023 (data from Widener et al., 2024). Solid black horizontal lines are at 0% and 100%.
Hatcheries
In 2023, hatchery programs in the Upper Columbia released nearly 3.2 million spring Chinook and 7,419,000 steelhead (DeHart, 2024), both slightly lower than 2021 and 2022. These hatchery fish were released as part of public utility district (PUD), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CTCR) programs aimed at harvest, conservation, reintroduction, and safety-net goals.
These hatchery fish, released as juveniles, are managed as adults according to the goals of the program from which they were released. One method for assessing the risk of a supplementation program is to determine the influence of the hatchery and natural environments on the adaptation of the composite population. This is estimated by the proportion of natural-origin fish in the hatchery broodstock (pNOB) and the proportion of hatchery-origin fish in the natural spawning escapement (pHOS). In 2023, pHOS increased in the Entiat at 21%, although this is still below the average pHOS since ESA listing in 1999 of 33% (Figure 1). Conversely, in the Methow and Wenatchee pHOS remains high at 62% and 53%, respectively. For the Methow, the 2023 pHOS was a 3-year high. In contrast, this pHOS was the lowest since 2016 for the Wenatchee. For steelhead, pHOS values increased from 2022 across all four subbasins. Okanogan and Wenatchee only increased from last year at 68% and 30%, respectively. In contrast, both Methow and Entiat pHOS values were the highest since 2013 at 77% and 34%, respectively (Figure 1).
A composite metric called the Proportionate Natural Influence (PNI) combines pNOB and pHOS to assess genetic risk for a salmonid population that is supplemented with hatchery fish (i.e., spawners are a combination of natural and hatchery-origin individuals). Higher PNI values indicate greater strength of selection in the natural environment relative to that of the hatchery environment. Estimates of spring Chinook salmon PNI values for the Wenatchee River subbasin were 0.80 for Chiwawa River populations, and 0.44, for Nason Creek populations. (Hillman et al., 2024). The PNI for the Chiwawa (0.80) was the highest since ESA listing in 1999, and the PNI for Nason Creek (0.44) was the highest since 2017. In the Methow River, the spring Chinook PNI estimate was 0.55, the highest value since estimates started in 2003 (Snow et al. 2024). For steelhead, PNI estimates were 0.65 for the Wenatchee subbasin and 0.57 for the Methow subbasin, the highest in three years. Scientists recommend a PNI of 0.67 or greater for conservation programs, as defined by the Hatchery Scientific Review Group (2009), and several populations were below the 0.50 rate required for the natural environment to dominate selection (Paquet 2011). In 2023 the Wenatchee Spring Chinook (Chiwawa) was the only population with a PNI that was above this cut-off, but other sub-basins and the Wenatchee steelhead long-term average still fall below recommended rates.
See more information on hatcheries in the UCSRB Hatchery Background Summary.
Habitat
Habitat restoration and protection projects in the Upper Columbia are tracked in the Salmon Recovery Portal database, administered by the State of Washington Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office (GSRO). All habitat projects that could benefit salmon, steelhead, and bull trout, regardless of funder or sponsor, are tracked through this database. This information is used to track our progress toward implementing habitat goals in the Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan (Recovery Plan) and the Upper Columbia Biological Strategy.
2023 Habitat Accomplishments
of stream opened
completed
placed in channel
relocated
of stream treated
of riparian area planted
In 2023, partners completed 47 projects across all four major subbasins (Figure 5), with 10 projects implemented in the Methow, 20 in the Wenatchee, four in the Entiat, and nine in the Okanogan. Additionally, there were two projects that were in a combination of the Wenatchee and Entiat, one project in the Methow and Okanogan, and one project in the Wenatchee, Entiat, and Methow subbasins. In comparison, the number of projects completed in 2022 was 39. Of the completed 2023 projects, 30 were restoration, 11 were design/planning, three were protection (or acquisition), and three were monitoring. Of the 47 completed projects, 10 were primarily funded by the BPA Upper Columbia Programmatic – see detailed report of all completed BPA projects in Attachment C.
Since 1998, there have been 727 projects completed in the region, most of which (63%) were implemented within the last 12 years. The 2023 completed project total is a notable increase from previous reporting years, mainly due to a large effort by RCO and UCSRB staff to upload projects from funding sources that have not previously been included in SRP such as BPA, WDFW, and others. From this point forward, we will include all projects reported in SRP with these annual reports and provide the separate BPA annual report as an attached appendix for reference. The total projects completed in 2023 is greater than the 10-year average of 34 projects per year. Over the past six years, an average of 32 projects have been completed annually. As noted in previous annual reports, the scope and scale of current projects is significant based on the cost of recently completed projects. The total project cost for all 47 projects in 2023 was about $20 million (Figure 6), with five projects each exceeding $1 million in total project costs. The average funding amount per project was approximately $424,000. A complete list of projects completed in 2023 is provided in Attachment 1.
Projects Completed in 2023
Figure 5. Map of the Upper Columbia region showing the location and type of projects completed in 2023 within each of the four major subbasins.
During 2023, UCSRB and regional partners finalized efforts to update the region’s Barrier Prioritization Tool. This tool provides a consistent, repeatable, systematic and well-documented approach to prioritizing barrier corrections, similar to the region’s Prioritization of all other project types. Factors that inform the barrier prioritization include colonization potential, miles of available habitat, barrier severity (% passable), connectivity (number of barriers downstream) and habitat quality (temperature, sediment load, riparian condition, etc.).
Most of the 2023 projects targeted ESA-listed spring Chinook salmon (27 of 47 projects) as the primary species of interest. Steelhead was the second most targeted species (18 of 47 projects). Bull trout were listed as the secondary species benefiting in 13 of the 52 projects. Several projects also listed benefits to unlisted species and stocks such as summer Chinook salmon, coho salmon, lamprey, and rainbow trout.
See more information on habitat in the UCSRB Habitat Background Summary
Total Number of Projects and Money Spent By Year
Figure 6. Total number of habitat projects completed (blue bars; right axis) and money spent in millions (orange line; left axis) annually from 1998 through 2022.
Featured Projects
Step pools constructed in the bedrock canyon portion of site 3 to provide fish passage in Loup Loup Creek. October 23, 2023
Partners completed six projects in the Okanogan subbasin in 2023 (see attachment 1).
Loup Loup Creek Fish Passage (BPA-A-91366)
Sponsor: Confederated Tribes of the Colville Nation
Location: Loup Loup Creek Lower DS (AU)
Funding: Total project cost: $2,141,238; BPA Accords Funding 73548 REL 153
Outcomes: 5.8 miles of stream made accessible, 3 bedrock barriers removed and replaced with step-pools; 4 acres planted.
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Nation (CCT) implemented a fish passage improvement project in Loup Loup Creek, the third most productive tributary in the Okanogan subbasin for steelhead smolt production. Access to this cold-water habitat was blocked by a series of natural cascades approximately two miles from the confluence. This project aims to correct this blockage and provide long lasting fish passage to adult steelhead as the migrate upstream to spawn.
To implement this project, heavy equipment was used to establish a subgrade stream bed gradient of 8-11% in three identified sites. Step pools were then constructed on top of the subgrade with large boulders and wood. Practitioners found that large boulders were particularly effective in step pool construction, which was an important lesson that emerged from this project. Finally, the floodplain was reinforced with a layer of void-filled riprap topped with native alluvium. As a whole, this project corrected the natural cascades and created a series of step-pools which allow fish passage to an additional five miles of upstream habitat and provide high quality rearing habitat for juvenile steelhead within the reach. Additionally, four acres of riparian and upland habitat were planted to enhance the restoration site and restore road access.
Temporary free spanning steel bridge used for excavator access and removal of spoils from side channel construction
Partners completed four projects in the Entiat subbasin in 2023 (see attachment 1).
Entiat Silver Falls (BPA-A-91362)
Sponsor: Yakama Nation
Location: Entiat River Lake Creek Assessment Unit (AU)
Funding: Total project cost: $1,059,019; BPA Accords Funding CA 91619
Outcomes: 1 mile of stream treated; 2 perennial side channels reconnected to main channel; 11 pools created
The Silver Falls Habitat Restoration Project was implemented by the Yakama Nation in 2023 on the Entiat River, approximately 30 miles upstream of its confluence with the Columbia River. The project’s primary goals are to improve side channel and floodplain connectivity, increase pool quantity and volume, create cover habitat, and enhance hydraulic diversity. These actions spanned approximately one mile of the mainstem river and 2,200 linear feet of side channel.
Given the challenging project setting, several innovative construction techniques were employed, including a 60-foot temporary steel bridge which allowed access across the Entiat River in the project reach, a heavy-lift helicopter used to place and stage large wood, and a cable winch truck used to topple trees into the reach. Within the project site, 250 logs with roots and 40 pilings were installed to construct four bar-apex engineered wood structures, eight bank-buried wood structures, and three deflector large wood structures. Worksite isolation was achieved using sheet pile coffer dams and large pools were excavated to increase depth, provide cover, and create temperature refuges. To further enhance five side channels, 80 trees (40 feet long and 20 inches in diameter) with rootwads were placed by helicopter to increase cover and complexity for aquatic species. A small amount of native alluvium was excavated at the inlets of two side channels associated with bar apex jams to establish perennial flow conditions, create year-round rearing habitat, and reduce the risk of fish entrapment. Along the mainstem river margins, 38 additional trees (32 pulled in from the river margins, six salvaged) were placed into the river for additional habitat.
Upstream view from small levee in conservation easement area.
Partners completed eight projects in the Methow subbasin in 2022 (see attachment 1).
Upper Methow Goat Creek Conservation Easement (18-1807)
Sponsor: Methow Conservancy (worked with Cascade Fisheries)
Location: Methow River – Fawn Creek
Funding: Total project cost: $270,749.66; $230,133.69 from Salmon Recovery Funding Board; $40,615.97 from Methow Conservancy/in-kind donations
Outcomes: 4.8 acres of land protected though a conservation easement; 1.5 miles of stream protected; temperature, fish use, and ground and surface-water monitoring in the lower 1.5 miles of Goat Creek.
The project sponsor Methow Conservancy completed a conservation easement on 11.2 acres along the Upper Methow River and Goat Creek. The acquisition ensured that the floodplain and a buffer around the floodplain are protected from development. The sponsor also worked with a partner agency, Cascade Fisheries, to complete a habitat assessment of the lower 1.5 miles of Goat Creek to determine the potential for restoration on the newly acquired land, including the removal of two levees on the property. Additionally, a 30% project design was completed on the mainstem Methow River that includes selective levee removal and large wood placements. Cascade Fisheries has since received funding for final designs and implementation of an alluvial fan and habitat restoration project on the acquired property.
Motteler Road site at RM 0.52 of Chumstick Creek. Here, an undersized culvert was replaced with a concrete box culvert allowing for fish passage and continued road crossing.
Partners completed 18 projects in the Wenatchee subbasin in 2023, and two projects in both the Wenatchee and Entiat (see attachment 1).
Chumstick Creek Culverts – RM 0.52 and RM 1.48 (19-1584)
Sponsor: Chelan County Natural Resources Department
Location: Wenatchee – Chumstick Creek
Funding: Total project cost: $524,155.93; $445,514 from Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Recovery Board; $83,162 match from US Fish and Wildlife Service
Outcomes: 2.2 miles of stream made accessible; 3 engineered log jams placed; 1 undersized culvert replaced with a concrete box culvert
This restoration project corrected the final two barriers on Chumstick Creek, a tributary to the Wenatchee River. The project included two worksites, RM 0.52, or Motteler Road project site, and RM 1.48, or Alpenview project site. To correct the Alpenview culvert, three engineered log jam structures were installed and channel regrading below the culvert was completed to maintain a suitable grade and allow for fish passage through the culvert. At the Motteler Road site, an undersized pipe arch culvert was replaced with a 24’x12’ concrete box culvert. Plantings and final gradings were completed at both project sites to mitigate riparian impacts and ensure fish passage. With the correction of these two barriers, a total of 2.2 miles of rearing and overwintering off-channel habitat is newly available to spring Chinook salmon, steelhead, and coho salmon.
Attachment 1
Table of Information for Projects Completed in 2023
Upper Columbia projects completed in 2023. Source: Salmon Recovery Portal database (January 2025). Projects are shaded by subbasin. CCD = Cascadia Conservation District; CCNRD= Chelan Country Natural Resources Department; CF= Cascade Fisheries; CTCR = Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation; MBP= Methow Beaver Project; MC= Methow Conservancy; MSRF= Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation; OC= Okanogan Conservancy; OCD= Okanogan Conservation District; TU = Trout Unlimited; WDFW = Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife; YN = Yakama Nation.
Citations
DeHart, J. 2024. Fish Passage Center: 2023 Annual Report. Fish Passage Center. BPA Contract # 78040 REL 54.
Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG). 2009. Columbia River Hatchery Reform System-Wide Report. Prepared by the Hatchery Scientific Review Group.
Hillman, T., M. Miller, K. Shelby, M. Hughes, C. Moran, J. Williams, M. Tonseth, C. Willard, S. Hopkins, J. Caisman, T. Pearsons, C. Deason, K. See, M. Tonseth, and R. O’Connor. 2023. Monitoring and evaluation of the Chelan and Grant County PUDs hatchery programs: 2023 annual report. Report to the HCP and PRCC Hatchery Committees, Wenatchee and Ephrata, WA.
McCann, J. B. Chockley, E. Cooper, G. Scheer, S. Haeseker, B. Lessard, T. Copeland, J. Ebel, A. A. Storch, and D. Rawding. 2024. Comparative Survival Study Oversight Committee and Fish Passage Center, Comparative Survival Study of PIT-Tagged Spring/Summer/Fall Chinook, Summer Steelhead, and Sockeye: 2024 Annual Report. Fish Passage Center. BPA Contract #19960200.
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). 2024a. National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center. College Park, MD, USA. Retrieved from https://origin.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/ONI_v5.php
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Fisheries. 2024b. Ocean Indicators Summary for 2023. Retrieved from https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/science-data/ocean-indicators-summary-2023
Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). 2024. National Water and Climate Center – Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) and Snow Course Data and Products. https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/
Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. 2024. Northwest Annual Fire Report 2023. Portland, OR, USA.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW & WDFW). 2024 Joint Staff Report: Stock Status and Fisheries for Spring Chinook, Summer Chinook, Sockeye, Steelhead, and Other Species. Joint Columbia River Management Staff. Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.
Paquet, P. J., T. Flagg, A. Appleby, J. Barr, L. Blankenship, D. Campton, M. Delarm, T. Evelyn, D. Fast, J. Gislason, P. Kline, D. Maynard, L. Mobrand, G. Nandor, P. Seidel, and S. Smith. 2011. Hatcheries, conservation, and sustainable fisheries – achieving multiple goals: results of the Hatchery Scientific Review Group’s Columbia River Basin review. Fisheries 36:547-561.
Snow, C., D. Grundy, B. Goodman, A. Haukenes, and J. Rohrback. 2024. Monitoring and evaluation of the Wells Hatchery and Methow Hatchery programs: 2023 annual report. Report to Douglas PUD, Grant PUD, Chelan PUD, and the Wells and Rocky Reach HCP Hatchery Committees, and the Priest Rapids Hatchery Subcommittees, East Wenatchee, WA.
WDFW-Salmonid Population Indicators (SPI) Escapement. 2024. Retrieved from https://data.wa.gov/Natural-Resources-Environment/WDFW-Salmonid-Population-Indicators-SPI-Escapement/fgyz-n3uk/about_dat
Widener, D.L., J. R. Faulkner, and S. G. Smith. 2024. Survival estimates for the passage of spring-migrating juvenile salmonids through Snake and Columbia River dams and reservoirs, 2023. Report to the Bonneville Power Administration, BPA Project # 1993-029-00.
United States Geological Survey (USGS). 2024. U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved from https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/sw.
