Upriver Instream Flow Enhancement

Summary

This project expedited multiple improvements for fish and water management at multiple locations in the Upper Walla Walla River. The project improved fish passage, eliminated unauthorized diversions and eliminated or reduced the size of push up berms, consolidated ditches, installed water diversion measurement devices, increased irrigation efficiency, increased stream flow, promoted greater interagency cooperation, improved relations among landowners upriver and downriver, and between landowners and agencies, and provided a base for additional restoration efforts. The project has been an essential step in helping small farmers in the Walla Walla River Basin make their irrigation more efficient and improving instream habitat for fish. It is a successful example of the Oregon Plan for Salmon(ids) and Watersheds in action.
 

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Background and Description
Project Goals
Partnership Efforts
Accomplishments and Results
Project Photos
Changes to the Project from the Proposal
Lessons Learned and Recommendations for Other Projects
Contact for More Information

Background and Description

This project has been essential in demonstrating the Walla Walla Basin's proactive approach to the requirements of the federal fish management services and the threats of environmental organizations, thereby helping to prevent lawsuits and setting the stage for collaborative problem solving among landowners and a wide variety of partner entities. The project began to take shape when Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) was requested by downriver irrigation districts in the Milton-Freewater area to monitor upriver water use. There was a local suspicion that upriver irrigators were using water without limits while the downriver district patrons were being regulated to priority date by OWRD due to insufficient flow to serve all users. During development of this project, steelhead and bull trout in the Walla Walla River Basin became ESA-listed and the irrigation districts were pressured by USFWS to bypass a portion of their water rights, adding urgency to this project.

Previous efforts by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Washington and Oregon Fish & Wildlife Departments (WDFW & ODFW), and the irrigation districts had addressed the most detrimental fish passage barriers. The irrigation districts downstream are implementing local conservation plans as part of the basin-wide habitat conservation plan (HCP) they are developing. Irrigators are increasing the efficiency of their systems, realizing their good faith efforts will increase their chance of continuing to withdraw water from ESA-listed streams. USFWS and NOAA have been investigating the possibility of "take" occurring as ESA-listed bull trout and steelhead are impacted by irrigation withdrawals. Limited flows and diversion structures have been significant barriers to fish passage in the past in the Walla Walla River. This has been identified by USFWS and has been stated in several assessments, including WWBWC's 1999 Assessment and Action Plan, the WWBWC 2003 Strategic Action Plan, and American Rivers' 1998 list of the twenty most endangered rivers in the country.

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) funding provided a carrot for the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council (WWBWC), OWRD, and ODFW to entice upriver water users to work towards water management and fish passage compliance. Also, with the listing of bull trout and steelhead, reducing the impacts of pushup berms became a greater priority. This project has been a key component to the basin-wide ESA strategy to improve flow, habitat, and passage for listed bull trout and steelhead. The project has helped eliminate fish passage barriers and ensure that landowners who divert water stay within their state-allocated water rights.

In an effort to reduce the amount of paperwork for OWEB and other funding sources and more quickly correct fish passage problems, WWBWC worked with OWRD and ODFW to collaborate with landowners in the section of the Walla Walla River upstream from the town of Milton-Freewater and submit the needed improvements under one grant application. Landowners needed assistance in abandoning gravel push-up dams, converting from flood irrigation to sprinkler irrigation, consolidating points of diversion, and improving their intake systems at their points of diversion.  Funding for the project was provided by OWEB grant #99-602 from 8/00 to 10/04 (which included challenge grant funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) and by CTUIR from Pacific Coast Salmon dollars allocated through the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC).  Cost share cash and in-kind effort were provided by landowners, Oregon Water Resources Department, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Oregon Water Trust, Umatilla County SWCD / USDA NRCS, and Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council.
 

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Project Goals

The WWBWC's goal was and is to assist landowners with maintaining their property and livelihood as they do their part to improve the environment. ODFW's goal was and is to improve habitat conditions for the fish. OWRD's goal was and is to manage water rights according to Oregon state water law. This project expedited multiple improvements for fish and water management at multiple locations in the Upper Walla Walla River.

Partnership Efforts

This project would not have been possible without the cooperation and assistance of many agencies and landowners. Besides the direct impact of the various tasks they completed, their technical advice, professional opinions, and informed perspectives on restoration, land use, and water use were invaluable in shaping the project and finding creative solutions for each diversion and all the challenges encountered. The key agency contacts are mentioned below, including those that no longer work in the basin.

NRCS provided some technical engineering for location and installation of diversion improvements and measuring devices (Kelly Cahill, Loren Unruh). OWRD provided assistance through water rights research, diversion inventory and needs assessment, waiving Point of Diversion transfer fees for landowners whose projects improved water quality and fish habitat, assistance with ongoing irrigation conservation programs such as the conserved water program and instream water leases, installation and assistance with installation of many of the headgates and measuring devices, and inspection of all headgates and measuring devices (Tony Justus, Tom Johnson, Chet Sater, Jim Chambers). ODFW identified fish management issues associated with the diversions and developed acceptable solutions with the water users (Jon Germond, Tim Bailey, Brian Kilgore, Joe Vaughter). CTUIR contributed financial and technical assistance to the rock weir installation and to the overall conservation program using Pacific Coastal Salmon dollars allocated by the Columbia River InterTribal Fish Commission (Jed Volkman). PGG (Pendleton Grain Growers) provided design assistance, installation, and supplies (John Timmons, Mick York). Oregon Water Trust (OWT) provided funding for instream water leases (Terry Anthony, Darl Kleinbach, Ryland Moore). Oregon Department of State Lands provided technical advice and guidance on permitting regulations and diversion solutions (Bob Brown, Kevin Herkamp). WWBWC identified needs, oversaw the project, managed the money and paperwork, facilitated problem-solving, assisted with ramp flume and headgate installation, and prompted actions as needed. The cooperation developed on this project with OWRD has been extended through new funding to WWBWC under the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program (CBWTP).

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Accomplishments and Results

The project had multiple watershed benefits, some tangible and some less obvious but no less important. The overall results are described here. Details of the specific actions taken at each diversion are listed in a spreadsheet prepared by WWBWC ("Summary of Projects by Diversion"). The actions taken under this project have greatly reduced and eliminated the barriers to fish passage and reduced the legal threat of "take" of ESA-listed fish to the irrigators.

Specifically, the project eliminated 10 large pushup berms and reduced the size of six more through consolidation of diversions, switching to submerged headgates and culverts, installation of rocks or other structures to reduce annual maintenance activities, and switching from flood ditches to pumped irrigation systems. Two other berms have plans or engineering completed to reduce or eliminate them, and one additional berm is no longer being used. Conversion projects were completed on 45.2 acres (plus 24.1 acres converted by OWEB grant #201-697) and an estimated 1.7cfs remains instream for a longer distance or permanently.

Sixteen headgates were installed, along with 10 ramp flumes, six measuring weirs, and 6 flowmeters. These allow for more accurate measurement of water being diverted. In addition to the pushup berms that have been reduced in size or eliminated altogether, several diversions were modified and improved to stop flooding problems that occasionally left fish stranded after high water events.  Click here to see pictures of some of the project sites and measuring devices.

An up-to-date inventory list of water rights was compiled by OWRD, and all of the Points of Diversion (PODs) were named and mapped. OWRD can now quickly and more accurately complete diversion flow inventories in order to ensure that users are staying within their legal water rights. These inventories have occurred the past three years and are now scheduled regularly each irrigation season. WWBWC now leads a bi-state, multiple agency (OWRD, WDFW, WDOE, USGS, Iririgation Districts, USFWS, and Tri-state Steelheaders) flow inventory called a river "seepage run" which provides a flow-profile of the Walla Walla River. This is now possible due to the work done under this grant.

Before this project, it was difficult to determine water use quickly and accurately. The activities completed and the contact with landowners that occurred during the project also helped improve the diversion inventory. Several unauthorized diversions were discovered that were either eliminated or legally transferred to authorized diversion points. This project also helped to educate landowners as to what amount of water was legal for them to divert and provide a tangible goal for water use compliance.

Regulation of diversions has probably resulted in some increase in instream flow in addition to the actual amount of water savings reported from the efficiency conversion projects. Accurate measurement of diversions prevents overuse of water and anecdotes from long-time water users indicate the project has probably resulted in some increase in flows between diversion and return flow points, although it is not possible to provide a reliable comparison measurement.

The seepage runs (flow inventories) have also helped the WWBWC and its partners to develop a draft Comprehensive Irrigation Management Plan (CIDMP) for the upriver users to be able to participate in the basin-wide habitat conservation planning (HCP) effort. By developing positive working relationships with the affected landowners, promotion of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and other riparian conservation and improvement options is more likely to be successful. Many landowners were hesitant initially, but have become more receptive and innovative with the trust and working relationships established with agency and Council staff as a result of this project. The combined accomplishments from this project and additional work completed by ODFW, OWRD, CTUIR, WWBWC, ODA, ODSL, ODEQ, and the landowners themselves has been compiled into a draft "Upper Walla Walla River Irrigation Management Plan". This plan will be used to develop an ESA assurances certification program. The plan will also assist Milton-Freewater area irrigators in getting their Bi-State Habitat Conservation Plan approved by helping to demonstrate basin-wide conservation improvements by irrigators using and farming along the Walla Walla River.

The diversion inventory has also helped Oregon Water Trust (OWT) to identify water users for their annual lease program. OWT provided payments to water right holders in 2003 and 2004 for short-term leases at $100/acre in order to keep instream flows higher during the low flow period (July-August). On the North Fork Walla Walla River in 2003, three leases were made for 29.4 acres (total rate of 1.12cfs) for a total duty of 113 acre-feet for the season. On the South Fork Walla Walla River in 2004, four leases were made for 28.58 acres (total rate of 1.072cfs) for a total duty of 110.57 acre-feet. On the mainstem Walla Walla River (north of Milton-Freewater), leases were made for 117.03 acres (total rate of 4.39cfs) for 452.7868 acre feet). In 2004, the funds were only directed to the North Fork and leases were made for 15.3 acres (total rate of 0.574cfs) for a total duty of 59 acre-feet. The leasing program will continue on the North Fork in 2005.

Another significant benefit resulting from the project has been the reduction in tensions in the basin between downriver and upriver water users, and between landowners and agencies. Installation of lockable headgates, and measuring devices has made it possible to ensure (and document) that no water user upstream is taking more than their legal water right allows for. This has helped to reduce tension between downriver district patrons that had their water use closely monitored (and more recently have been asked to bypass water), and upriver individual irrigators who were perceived as using water without limits. Tensions between fish management and instream work permitting agencies and the upriver landowners have also been reduced as landowners have moved toward cooperation and compliance. Cooperative compliance involving local solutions based on reasonable alternatives has occurred as a result of this project.

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Changes to the Project from the Proposal

The end date of the grant was extended several times in order to achieve the best use of the funding and to accommodate numerous work delays plus uncertainties in what final solutions should be at several diversions. Another change was the decrease in emphasis on flow enhancement through water conservation from irrigation efficiency. The original proposal anticipated conserving 5-10cfs.  Although some water was conserved through efficiencies and some water was effectively reclaimed due to elimination of unauthorized diversions and regulation of users to their legal water right, it became apparent that, due to the geological characteristics of the canyon, a large portion of the water applied upriver actually returns to the river and is reused multiple times throughout the Walla Walla Basin. OWRD is waiting on additional data collection before allowing approval of conserved water applications due to the potential for injury to downstream users. The measurable water rights being bypassed for ESA-listed fish come from users downstream of the project area.

The impact of the grant is most strongly felt in the removal of fish passage barriers and the improved working relationships in the basin. Clearly identifying who has water rights and providing for more accurate measurement has built trust and reduced tension and unfair suspicion. Regular contact with ODFW, OWRD, and WWBWC staff has allowed time for irrigators and landowners to ask questions and develop appropriate conservation strategies. This may be difficult to quantify, but should not be underestimated as a basis for the subsequent politics and complexities of efforts including: BPA subbasin planning, TMDL, CIDMP, HCP, CREP, and SB1010 water quality planning.

It should be noted that the original proposal specified a 50%-50% cost share. This was greatly exceeded as a combined project but may not be evident in the final match accounting, as some landowners did not accurately track cost share information. Additional changes to a diversion after the first round of settling accounts also changed cost share ratios. Most water users put in more time and money than is recorded. Water users also have ongoing maintenance costs to keep the diversions, measuring devices, and sprinkler systems functioning as installed and reported (these costs are not accounted for in the match funding form).

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Lessons Learned and Recommendations for Other Similar Projects

Multiple landowner and restoration site projects are a challenge to manage due to the sheer volume of design specifics, personalities, and complexity of fiscal accountability. However, it was very important to the ultimate success of the project to have all the landowners in the project area collected under the umbrella of the one grant, with the flexibility to manage it more like a block grant.

During the grant period, there was turnover of key staff at NRCS, ODFW, ODSL, OWRD, OWT, and even at the PGG irrigation department, adding to the challenge of keeping everything on track. Implementation of a systematized data collection scheme from the very beginning is strongly recommended for other similar projects to manage such transitions.

This was a significant learning experience for WWBWC staff. The experience gained from this project has benefited every subsequent activity, especially grant recordkeeping, project management, and project scope definition for other grants and projects. An important concept has been "Keep It Simple". In some cases, an expensive engineered design was replaced with a low-budget alternative. Landowner knowledge was essential in identifying ways to modify diversions that made sense to them. These lower-tech options are usually less costly to replace if/when the next 25-year or 100-year flood event comes along and removes them. In some cases, the engineered alternatives are not guaranteed to withstand a significant high water event and caused strong concerns about flooding for downstream neighbors. Although formal engineering was required for only some of the locations, more design assistance from NRCS would also have been helpful.

The project has also established the WWBWC as a trustworthy resource for the upper Walla Walla River landowner community in ensuring that their needs and concerns are addressed.

Contact for More Information

Questions about this project should be directed to Brian Wolcott (541) 938-2170.

Text here was adapted from the Project Completion Report submitted to OWEB.

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