Driscoll Island Riparian Planting –
Lands in the Okanogan Valley have been utilized for agriculture for many years. Many stream banks are denuded of natural riparian vegetation as a legacy of this activity. Healthy, mature riparian vegetation such as cottonwood and red-osier dogwood provide shade, bank stability, sources of wood for in-stream habitat, hiding cover and many other benefits to salmon. This project, near the confluence of the Okanogan and Similkameen Rivers, will help address limiting factors I put hyphens in here – such as water temperature and habitat complexity – identified in the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Plan by planting 2,000’ of riparian vegetation along the Similkameen River.
Partner: WDFW. Funding provided by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Expected completion: June 2012
Driscoll Island Cold Water Refuge – Design –
This project presents an opportunity to design cool water off-channel refuge for juvenile salmonids. These channels would be available during a critical time of year when water temperatures in the main-stem Okanogan and Similkameen Rivers bordering Driscoll Island are not favorable to salmonid growth and survival. High temperatures currently drive these fish to less favorable habitats, and can result in mortality. Water temperature strongly influences the composition of aquatic communities with salmonids thriving or surviving only within a limited temperature range. Physiological functions are commonly influenced by temperature, while some behaviors are linked to temperature, and temperature is closely associated with many life cycle changes. Temperature indirectly influences oxygen solubility, nutrient availability, and the decomposition of organic matter; all of which affect the structure and function of biotic communities and the health of the fish within them. As water warms, oxygen and nutrient availability decrease.
Our objective in this project first is to collect appropriate data to inform alternatives, and investigate the feasibility of using on-sight ground water to construct off-stream channels to allow juvenile salmonids a safe habitat.
Partners: Colville Confederated Tribe and WDFW. Funding provided by SRFB (pending). Expected completion: June 2013
