R & E Grant Application15 Biennium

Project Information

Stulls Falls Passage Improvement Project

Project #:15-042

R&E Project Request:

Total Project:

1/1/2015Start Date:

12/31/2017End Date:

Coos Watershed Association (Tax ID #: 93-1146207)Organization:

Fiscal Officer

Anne JelinekName:

P.O. Box 5860; 63534 Kingfisher DrAddress:

Charleston, OR 97420

541-888-5922 Telephone:

541-888-6111Fax:

ajelinek@cooswatershed.orgEmail:

Applicant Information

Allison TarboxName:

P.O. Box 5860Address:

Charleston, OR 97420

541-888-5922 Telephone:

atarbox@cooswatershed.orgEmail:

Past Recommended or Completed Projects

This applicant has no previous projects that match criteria.

$28,773.00

$40,137.00

Project #: 15-042Stulls Falls Passage Improvement Project

Page 1 of 9Last Modified/Revised: 10/27/2015 1:28:54 PM

Location Information

Where is it?

The project will occur on public land owned or managed by another partyThe project will occur on private land owned or managed by another party

Landowner Information

Oregon Department of Forestry, Elliott State ForestName:

63612 Fifth RdAddress:

Coos Bay, OR, 97420

541-267-1751Phone:

Randy.C.Smith@oregon.govEmail:

Mike VaughanName:

598 N 4th Ct.Address:

Coos Bay, OR, 97420

541-294-4522Phone:

Site Description

Street Address, nearest intersection, or other descriptive location.Elliott State Forest, end of the West Fork Millicoma Road 3 miles beyond ODFW Millicoma Interpretive Center. Stulls Falls is located at river mile 16 on the West Fork Millicoma River (WFMR) at the Elliott State Forest (ESF) / Vaughan property boundary (Attachment B).

Directions to the site from the nearest highway junction.From the town of Allegany, proceed approximately 12 miles to the end of the West Fork Millicoma Road at the Vaughan property boundary and walk down to the falls.

Following project completion, public anglers will be allowed the following level of access to the project site:

Full access

Please describe what leases, easements, agreements are in place to ensure angler access to the project site, and what is the length of each agreement.

Full access will be permitted on State ownership. Permission will be required to cross private ownership. Currently, there is no angling zone surrounding the fishway at the lower falls and this extends to cover the project site at the upper falls.

Dominant Land Use Type:Forest

Project Location

General Project Location.CoosCounty:

AlleganyTown/City:

Coos/Coquille/TenmileODFW Dist:

West Fork Millicoma RiverStream/Lake/Estuary Name:

Project #: 15-042Stulls Falls Passage Improvement Project

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Sub-basin: Coos River

Millicoma RiverTributary of:

Specific Project Location.Latitude Longitude

43.511 -123.997

Project Summary

Project Summary

Please provide a couple sentence summary of the proposal.We are proposing to carve three channels in the bedrock ledge that will direct flow at both low and high winter flows through the upper ledge into the holding pool. The new channels will provide sufficient flow depth for fish passage even during the lowest winter flow years.

Overall Project Goals

Describe the primary goals or outcomes of the entire project, including elements not requesting funding from R&E.

This project is designed to improve the passage of Stulls Falls for winter steelhead, coho, and chinook by allowing fish passage over a wider range of flows (especially low flows less than 100 cfs) that have typically occurred during the recent falls/winters coho and chinook salmon migratory periods.

Primary objectives of R&E funding

Please describe the measurable objectives for the R&E portion of the funding request.In the WFMR, we have the following measurable objectives:1) Increase the range of flows that coho and chinook salmon are able to pass the falls from 18-38% to 50-90% of the time.

Current Situation/Justification

Please describe the current situation and explain why this funding is needed.The falls have always posed a notable restriction for adult fish passage and significant migration delay for winter steelhead, coho, and chinook. In 1952, the Oregon Fish Commission constructed a fish ladder around the lower, taller falls and a concrete weir below the upper falls to improve fish passage. This weir was blown out during the 1996 flood event while a bedrock plate collapsed into the main jump pool further impeding passage. During numerous times over the past decade, passage has been further hindered by insufficient flow for coho and chinook to pass over the upper falls during critical migratory periods (Attachment C).

We used CoosWA stream gauge data from WFMR, along with HEC-RAS models, to estimate a window for fish passage. We also reviewed 2 years of winter video passage attempts at varying stream flows. From this data, we found flows exceeding the minimum passable flow for chinook occurred less than 18% of the time, and less than 38% of the time for coho. The falls are passable for coho during freshets and higher flows in the West Fork, but they are often stuck in the pool during low-flow years. No chinook have been found upstream of the falls.

Recreation and Commercial Benefit

This project will provide benefits to:

Project #: 15-042Stulls Falls Passage Improvement Project

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Recreational fisheries

Explain how this project will contribute to current (and/or potential) fishing opportunities, access, or fisheries management.

There is approximately 60 miles of habitat with good winter rearing intrinsic potential for coho salmon (IP = 0.41 -0.96), chinook salmon (IP = 0.40 – 1.00), and steelhead trout (IP= 0.52 – 0.92) upstream of the falls. Currently, the upper falls is a complete barrier to chinook salmon migration, a partial (but significant) barrier to coho salmon migration, and a limited barrier to steelhead trout migration. Due to the upper falls, chinook salmon are unable to pass above the falls to spawn, and coho can also become trapped below the falls and forced to spawn by the hundreds in a small tributary downstream. This project will allow salmon to access and distribute throughout available spawning habitat above Stulls Falls, which should provide more juveniles entering the ocean and more returning adults for anglers to catch a few years later.

This WFMR reach is used for recreational steelhead trout fishing, but is closed to coho and chinook salmon angling to protect spawning adults. Increasing access to upstream spawning habitat will increase the numbers of these fish that are produced, outmigrate and grow to adults where they are fished for in the ocean and elsewhere in the Coos River basin.

Is this project part of an approved Salmon-Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) activity?No

This project has been identified as a priority for:Local/watershedBasin/regional

Identify any plan or other document that identifies this priority.Coos/Coquille/Tenmile Fish District staff has prioritized Stulls Falls as one of the top 5 fish passage barriers, partial or complete, to be addressed within the district.

Fish passage at Stulls Falls was identified as a fish passage issue in the Elliott State Forest Watershed Analysis (October, 2003).

The Coos Watershed Association Action Plan (1995) identifies improving adult salmon migration to headwater spawning gravel as one on its Action Plans (page 31).

OWEB's Summary of Watershed Health Indicators for the Oregon Coast Coho ESU (2007) identifies fish passage barriers as one of the limiting factors for coho salmon in the Millicoma watershed.

CoosWA's Bonneville Environmental Foundations Model Watershed Program proposal compliments this project by determining the cumulative effects of watershed restoration on critical indicators of watershed health.

This project is intended to benefit the following species:Fall Chinook SalmonCoho SalmonWinter SteelheadCutthroat Trout

This project will benefit anglers or fishery by providing:Angling OpportunityHabitat EnhancementsFish Passage

Project #: 15-042Stulls Falls Passage Improvement Project

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Angling Opportunity

This project will:Improve the opportunity for anglers to catch more fish.

Habitat Enhancements

The primary purpose of this project is to improve/increase:Flow and/or connectivityFish passage

Fish Passage

This fish passage project will:Modify a partial barrier that does not have an existing fishway/passage structure

We have contacted or have been working with:ODFW fish passage staffODFW has been contactedThe project has received approval

Project Description

ScheduleActivity Date RE Funding

Engineering design and stamped drawings 1/2016 - 3/2016 YesPermit Applications 1/2016 - 3/2016 YesBid Solicitation Spring 2016 NoContracting Spring 2016 Yes

Construction8/6/2016 - 9/15/2016

Yes

Project Inspection8/6/2016 - 9/15/2016

No

Post-Project Implementation Review 12/2016 & 12/2017 No

PermitsPermit Secured? Date Expected

Section 404 Dredge/Fill issued by Oregon DSL; US Army Corps of Engineers No April 1, 2016ODF Operations Notification issued by Oregon Department of Forestry No April 1, 2016

Project Design and Description

Please describe in detail the methods or approach that will be used to achieve the project objectives.Low flow channels have been designed by Bill Conroy, Ph.D., (former CoosWA Uplands Project Manager), Chris Claire (ODFW Assistant District Fisheries Biologist), and Randy Smith (ODF Southern Oregon Area Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist). Bill Conroy has over 17 years of experience with stream restoration projects and has a Doctoral degree in Civil Engineering (specifically, river hydraulics and sediment transport mechanics). Randy has over 25 years of experience designing and implementing in-stream restoration projects. Chris has provided fish habitat restoration project oversight in southwestern Oregon for five years. Ken Loffink (ODFW Assistant Fish Passage Coordinator) has visited the site and has concurred with project designs and objectives. Jim Muck (NOAA Fisheries) has also visited the project site and is supportive of the project objectives and goals.

Project #: 15-042Stulls Falls Passage Improvement Project

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Three low-flow channels will be carved through the upper bedrock ledge. Based on the advice of ODFW fish passage personnel, the new channels will be at least 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep, for a total length of 75 feet (Attachment D). The perimeter of each low flow channel will be carved with a concrete saw. The material inside of the channels will be broken up with an environmentally safe expanding grout. Broken grout material will be hauled by hand out of the channel area in polypropylene bags and disposed of off-site. A pneumatic rock drill will be used to shape the final channel. The work area for each channel will be de-watered and isolated from the flow channels with sandbag coffer dams.

The considered alternatives were:1) Blasting chunks of the ledge was considered and rejected. The landowner did not wish to have indiscriminate blasting occurring on his property. Also, to get controlled explosions, we would have to drill pilot holes and hope that the shock waves would not fracture the ledge in undesired locations (causing more raveling of rock into the holding pool).2) Another option considered was building a concrete weir at the pool tail to create a deeper holding pool, creating a shorter jump height and distance. This was rejected for several reasons. The weir would have to be at least 4-feet tall and 50-feet wide to span the channel. To accommodate the weir, the upper end of the existing fish ladder would have to be modified to tie into the weir structure. To withstand the forces of high storm flows, the weir would have to be at least 2 feet wide and anchored to the bedrock, and very likely have to modify the bedrock to situate the weir. None of these are insurmountable. However, this option would require substantially greater channel modification, construction materials, labor, time to construct, and ultimately cost.3) Removal of the large bedrock plate that has collapsed into the main jump pool was also considered. The collapsed plate is so large that it would require in-water blasting in order to reduce the size of the material. Even if the material was reduced in size, there would be no way to move the material to re-open the jump pool. There is no access for heavy equipment to this site due to lack of roads and steep topography.

Engineering

Does the project involve capital improvement, engineering, site grading or other construction?YesNot associated with ODFW

Project Management and Maintenance

What is the life expectancy of R&E funded construction, structures, equipment, supplies, data or fishery?

We expect the construction to be permanent and do not expect there to be any maintenance need to this project site.

Who is responsible for long term management, maintenance, and oversight of the project beyond what is funded by R&E.

ODF will conduct annual inspections to the site for 3 years after the completion of the project. While we do not expect any maintenance will be needed, CoosWA will be responsible if maintenance is required, and we will work with ODF to make sure it is accomplished.

Will the project require ongoing maintenance?

Project #: 15-042Stulls Falls Passage Improvement Project

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No

Is there a plan to collect baseline data and to conduct monitoring efforts to measure the effectiveness of the project?

YesMonitoring of flows and fish passage at the upper falls has been and will continue to be conducted during winter flows.

Project Funding

Funding

Have you applied for OWEB funding for this project?No

Other Funding Source Type Secured Dollar Value CommentsODFW In-Kind Secured 2716 Staff time for aquatic surveys and monitoring

ODF (Elliott State Forest) In-Kind Secured 4355Staff time for project development, implementation, and monitoring

Coos Watershed Association Cash Secured 1775 Staff time for grant administration

Coos Watershed Association In-Kind Secured 2518Staff time for project and permit development, project management, and materials

Total 11364

Project #: 15-042Stulls Falls Passage Improvement Project

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Budget

Item Unit Number Unit Cost In-kind or non-cash

contr butions

Funding fromother sources

R&E Funds Total Costs

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CoosWA Project Manager (Project Design and Permit Development)

120 39.25 2355 0 2355 4710

CoosWA Project Manager (Implementation)

24 39.25 0 0 942 942

ODFW Fisheries Biologist (Project Design and Implementation Monitoring)

80 32 2560 0 0 2560

ODF Fisheries Biologist (Project Design and Implementation Monitoring)

110 37.5 4125 0 0 4125

SUBTOTAL(1) 9040 0 3297 12337IN-HOUSE PERSONNEL

CoosWA Project Manager (Post-implementation monitoring and reporting)

20 39.25 0 0 785 785

SUBTOTAL(2) 0 0 785 785CONTRACTED SERVICES

Engineering Designs and Stamped Drawings

1 2500 0 0 2500 2500

Equipment mobilization 1 500 0 0 500 500Bedrock trench drilling and carving (14" deep x 2' wide)

60 168 0 0 10080 10080

Bedrock trench drilling and carving (18" deep x 2' wide)

25 245 0 0 6125 6125

Rock hauling and disposal (hand carry) 215 10 0 0 2150 2150SUBTOTAL(3) 0 0 21355 21355

TRAVEL

CoosWA personnel (3 design trips, 4 inspection trips, 1 monitoring trip @ 68 mi RT)

544 0.575 117 0 196 313

ODFW personnel (2 design trips, 1 inspection trip, 1 monitoring trip @ 68 mi RT)

272 0.575 156 0 0 156

ODF personnel (5 design trips, 2 inspection trips, 1 monitoring trip @ 50 mi RT)

400 0.575 230 0 0 230

SUBTOTAL(4) 503 0 196 699SUPPLIES/MATERIALS

Straw wattles to isolate work area (25' lengths)

4 160 0 0 640 640

Polypropylene material handling/transport bags

5 9.25 46 0 0 46

SUBTOTAL(5) 46 0 640 686EDUCATION/OUTREACH

0 0 0 0 0 0SUBTOTAL(6) 0 0 0 0

EQUIPMENT

0 0 0 0 0 0SUBTOTAL(7) 0 0 0 0

FISCAL ADMINISTRATION

CoosWA Grant Administration (16.27% Fed Indirect Cost Rate)

1 0.1627 0 1775 2500 4275

SUBTOTAL(8) 0 1775 2500 4275

BUDGET TOTAL

9589 1775 28773 40137

Project #: 15-042Stulls Falls Passage Improvement Project

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Additional Files

Click a link to view that particular file.

Attachment A: Signature Authorization Page

Attachment B: Project location map

Attachment C: Pre-project photos of project site

Attachment D: Proposed channel trench

Attachment E: ODFW Letter of Support

Attachment F: ODF Letter of Support

Attachment G: Landowner Letter of Permission

Project #: 15-042Stulls Falls Passage Improvement Project

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Attachment C. Pre-project photos of Stulls Falls at Vaughn’s Mill on West Fork Millicoma River

Stulls Falls Fish Ladder

Upper shelf of Stulls Falls above the Fish Ladder (view looking upstream).

Attachment D: Upper shelf of Stulls Falls with superimposed proposed channel trench (low-flow channels)

Upper shelf of Stulls Falls above the Fish Ladder, with proposed channel trench locations (view looking upstream)

Upper shelf of Stulls Falls (view looking south from right bank), with proposed channel trench locations superimposed.