Middle Entiat River Restoration Project
The following comments were submitted in response to the open comment period described below.
Comments are numbered consecutively as they are received. Breaks in the number sequence result when comments are deleted because they
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The Bonneville Power Administration is proposing to fund a river restoration and habitat improvement project along four miles on the Entiat River in Chelan County, Wash. The project has been proposed as a partnership that includes The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Chelan County Department of Natural Resources, Columbia Cascade Fish Enhancement Group and Cascadia Conservation District. The funding would be provided as part of BPA’s ongoing efforts to protect, restore and enhance habitat for fish and wildlife species and serve as partial mitigation for the construction and operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System. The proposed project would increase the amount and quality of available habitat for spring chinook, steelhead and bull trout that are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. Other native populations of fish and wildlife would also benefit from the habitat improvements. To better understand the potential environmental impacts of this proposal, BPA will prepare an environmental assessment following the procedures of the National Environmental Policy Act. BPA works with landowners, federal, state and local agencies, interest groups and tribal interests during this process. Your feedback helps better assess the environmental impacts of the proposed project and helps BPA make better and more informed decisions. Please review the proposal and share your comments with BPA.
For More Information:
https://www.bpa.gov\goto\middleentiatriverhabitat
Close of comment: 3/2/2016
- MERP 0001 -
paceThanks for the opportunity to comment. My initial concern is that efforts would be better used restoring and rehabilitating habitat in the lower Entiat River watershed, e.g., downstream from the fish and wildlife hatchery. If I recall correctly, it's the lower reaches near the confluence with the Columbia that are most in need of improvement. And weren't there some constraints in terms of hatchery fish (summer chinook produced as mitigation for the Columbia Basin Project (Grand Coulee)) and natural-origin fish returning to spawn. If there is in fact a constraint imposed on restoration of lower Enitat River spawning and rearing habitat by hatchery operations (stock selection), it is hard to see how improving habitat in the middle reach is 100% the responsibility of ratepayers. So, it may be prudent for BPA to address with specificity precisely what impacts of the FCRPS are being mitigated by improving spawning habitat upstream from where it is most urgently needed and also has the most direct link to hydrosystem operations.
- MERP 0002 -
MoMoura/Colville Confederated TribesPlease view attachment.
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- MERP 0003 -
HalsteadAs adjacent landowners and residents we are in favor of the proposed project as described and believe that the work will be beneficial to salmon species as well as the overall river ecosystem. We are pleased to see projects like this which help return river and floodplain systems to a more natural function and condition.
Having seen similar projects on the White River and Nason Creek in Chelan County we are comfortable with changes to the river (log structures, side channel restoration, etc.) and the impacts of construction. I also am not concerned about the perceived impact to recreational users of the river(s). I have fished, kayaked, and/or tube floated all these including the project area of the Entiat.
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BurtPlease view attachment.
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KellyPlease view attachment.
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LeighPlease view attachment.
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StanawayPlease view attachment.
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BowiePlease view attachment.
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- MERP 0010 -
Wyant/Icicle Valley Trout UnlimitedIcicle Valley Chapter #391 Trout Unlimited is a non-profit cold water conservation-oriented organization centered in Leavenworth, Washington but with particularly strong interest in protecting and restoring habitat in all of the watersheds of the upper Columbia River basin between the Wenatchee River and the Canadian border. As such, the Chapter expresses its strong support for the proposed Middle Entiat River Restoration Project. The Chapter believes that the proposed project supports the long term effort to improve the overall stream health of the Entiat River and to increase the river's capacity to support both anadromous and resident fish species. The Chapter has worked with the non-profit agencies that will lead the restoration project and has great confidence in their ability to deliver a superior outcome. Thank you for considering this comment.
- MERP 0011 -
ChildersPursuant to your request for comments on the middle Entiat River restoration Project, we live on the Entiat River at 9 mile and our property is accessed via a private bridge. We have a number of concerns:
1) The project proposes substantial changes to the Entiat River, including importing and placing a large number of logs in the the river along with rock ballast. The 2011 projects placed in excess of 1000 logs in the river. The environmental aspects of the 2011 projects were not adequately addressed and potential downstream impacts were simply ignored. Your project will change the dynamics of the river and has the potential of causing environmental damage and downstream property damage. We ask that you give this project a closer evaluation than the 2011 project. This should include all downstream impacts along with mitigation for potential downstream property loss.
2) For the last two years there have substantial forest fires in the upper Entiat River drainage. These fires have burned over many many acres of forest land. The U.S. Forest Service has closed down much of the upper Entiat River to access due to concerns about erosion, slides and mud flows. I have heard that they are considering taking out the bridge at Cotton Wood camp ground and possibly some other bridges so that they will not impede any debris flows that many occur. Your project proposes adding a large volume of debris to the river!! It seems we have two federal agencies working at cross purposes! At any rate, the upper Entiat and the potential for debris flows needs to be taken into consideration.
3) Artificial log jams do not act the same as naturally occurring log jams. Naturally occurring log jams come and go with the flow of the river. Artificial log jams are fixed in place. The logs are often pinned or cabled together. As such, they create a different dynamic in the river than a natural log jam. All the material in artificial log jams is imported: including root wads with dirt from somewhere outside the Entiat drainage and trees that may not be indigenous to the area.
4) Artificial log jams can and will fail. It is just a matter of time. When they do break down the logs will go down stream along with the natural debris. However, since the logs may be tied together with steel cables or pins they are not only going to add to the volume of material in the river they are going to react differently than the natural debris. The tied together logs have the potential of causing a lot more environmental and property damage. i.e. backing up material and taking out the central pillar of a bridge.
5) The Entiat River has a LOT power. Not only does a tremendous volume of material go down the river at flood stage, ice dams and slides have blocked the river in the past. When the dams broke huge surges of water were created. We have seen the level of the river go up three or four feet in just a mater of minutes when something broke loose up stream. The potential for flooding and large surges of water needs to be considered.
6) If you import material into the flood plain of the river it will increase the height of the flood plain. Most jurisdictions have a zero gain requirement---an equal volume of material is required to be exported from the river for the material that was imported. Chelan County did not require zero gain for the 2011 projects. This zero gain requirement should be required on this project. If it isn't, then the environmental impact of raising the flood plain of the river needs to be addressed.
These are just a few of our concerns. We would appreciate some sort of a response. Thank You...
- MERP 0012 -
TudorThanks for the opportunity to comment on the Middle Entiat River Restoration Project.
I live on the South end of the identified project area. I have been familiar with his section of the river for more than 50 yrs and have lived here for the last 8 yrs and have watched it recover from the total burn out from the '94 fire.
The portion nearest us is spawning grounds for summer chinook and some steelhead. (Water temp. is not generally conducive to bull trout spawning.) To the casual observer this section is full of dense riparian habitat, has side channels and back waters and during spring runoff much of the flood plain goes under up to 4 feet of water. The big fires in the upper Entiat drainage the past two years has produced a number of silt dumps since, which will continue for years to come. I believe any significant work (or clean-out as was done on the upper Entiat) will be negated by these silt flows.
Silt cleanout will also destroy habitat for many animal species. Ducks, Geese, Merganzers, Soras, Virginia Rails, Sandpipers, Black Birds, Warblers (at least70 bird species)and at least 5 species of snakes, frogs, toads, racoons, beaver, marmots to name a few...and mosquitoes. The area appears to be in balance and has been for the last few years.
Yes, the river meanders. That is what rivers do.
Dredging channels changes the natural order of things and the river will work to fix it. My opinion is that the number of Redds may never increase significantly and probably is more dependent on the take by fisheries and weather fluctuations than any thing else.
HAZARD WARNING: A failed attempt by Cascadia 4-5 years ago, at the request of Chelan/Douglas Co. Land Trust, to improve flora next door to us by rooting cuttings on the flood plane is a hazard to man and beast (particularly deer). I have tried to get them all removed with little luck. (They consist of typically 1" dia. stakes set in foot deep holes, surrounded by woven wire cages.) They cannot be seen in the summer time when the Nile Grass is tall. You may want to visit me before tromping through this area.
Mosquitoes: Given the issues with West Nile and now Zika, we would welcome consideration of a mosquito control plan for the area. Some land owners use BT products in reachable stagnant waters as high water recedes but much of it is not accessible due to heavy growth.
If you have questions, please give me a call.
- MERP 0013 -
SpencerPlease consider the safety of paddlers when deciding to place wood in rivers, especially the Entiat. Because it is so narrow, wood which falls into the river naturally may become stuck on the man made log jams and block the entire river. My arm was broken by becoming caught between a log which had fallen across the whole river and our tandem overturned canoe. The log was not visible until just above it because of the waves that the log caused. Another time the safety rope attached to the back of my canoe caught on a natural log jam. I would have not been able to get back in safely after releasing it. Fortunately a fisherman was there an came over and released it.
Another problem with LWD is the danger to bridges across the Entiat if they get loose.
There are many reasons for the decrease in salmon in our rivers. Wood has already been placed in the Entiat. An example of a significant new problem is the temperature of the Columbia and feeder rivers last summer.
I don't know how many people paddle the Entiat. I found some names by searching in the Wenatchee World and at justgetout/Wenatchee.net My husband and I used to paddle it every summer and led trips on it for the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club and the Paddle Trails Canoe Club. We've stopped paddling it because of getting more cautious as we get older. Others, especially kayakers, will want to continue to paddle the Entiat, if it is not too full of wood hazards.
- MERP 0014 -
CarrThank you for the chance to comment on this issue. Personally, I am in support of this project. I have been fishing and hunting in the area for 15 years and would love to see it returned to a more natural state. Any restoration or reclamation attempts made to restore traditional spawning grounds for salmonid species is a step in the right direction. During and immediately after construction there will probably be harm caused to the spawning grounds, but 10-20 years down the road after the river is allowed to reclaim its natural channel migration. There should ideally be an increase in spawning grounds. My concerns come from the recent fires, specifically the Wolverine fire that occurred in the area in 2015. I understand that this area has a history with fire and burns quite often. With the recent fires removing much of the vegetation and that coupled with the project construction, an increase in erosion may occur. My main concern is the possibility of increased erosion and the sedimentation of the salmon redds, within the project area.
Previous research has been conducted on the issue of increased erosion in post-fire forest lands. Surface water flow is generally insignificant and soils are stable in undisturbed forest areas, but after a forest fires there is increased surface runoff that can affect the surface erosion and increase the movement of fine sediment (Wondzell et al. 2003). As stated by Robichaud(2000), when more than 75% of the ground is covered by vegetation roughly 2% of rainfall will become runoff. This compared to a post-fire forest that may have less than 10% of its vegetation and as much as 70% of the rainfall may become surface runoff. This increase in runoff can increase the surface erosion and fine sediments. An increase in fine sediment in gravel-bed streams has been interpreted by fishery biologists as having an adverse effect on spawning grounds and the over-all fisheries(King and Potyondy 1993). This possible increase in runoff tends to diminish within a year or two of the fire (Wondzell et al. 2003).
Wondzell, S. M., and J. G. King. 2003. Post-fire erosional processes in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain region. Forest Ecology and Management 178:75-87.
Robichuad, P. R. 2000b. Forest fire effects on hillslope erosion: what we know. Watershed Management Council Networker 9(1): Winter 2000.
King, R. and Potyondy, J. 1993. Statistical testing of Wolman pebble counts. Stream Notes, October, 1993. Stream System Technology Center, USFS, Fort Collins, CO.
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ArchibaldPlease view attachment.
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ArrasPlease view attachment.
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WhitehallPlease view attachment.
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MorganPlease view attachment.
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LindquistPlease view attachment.
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