Little Canyon Creek Subwatershed Steelhead Trout Habitat

Improvement Project

Sponsored by:

Lewis Soil Conservation District

Project GoalProject Goal

Improve steelhead trout habitat in

Little Canyon Creek by implementing best management practices

to upland agricultural lands.

Little Canyon Creek Watershed

Big Canyon Creek Watershed

Little Canyon Creek

• 100% within Nez Perce Reservation

• 93% privately owned

• 68% agricultural land use

Little Canyon Creek

Wild A-run steelhead trout occur

Lower Little Canyon Creek Subwatershed

Problems

•The only remaining steelhead trout runs in

the Clearwater River subbasin, with limited or

no hatchery influence, occur in the lower

Clearwater River tributaries

•The only remaining steelhead trout runs in

the Clearwater River subbasin, with limited or

no hatchery influence, occur in the lower

Clearwater River tributaries

Problems

•Limiting factors to steelhead habitat within

Little Canyon Creek are associated with

climate and land use patterns, including:

–excess sediment delivery

–flashy storm events

–low sustained summer base flows

•Limiting factors to steelhead habitat within

Little Canyon Creek are associated with

climate and land use patterns, including:

–excess sediment delivery

–flashy storm events

–low sustained summer base flows

• Surface soil erosion is the dominant type of erosion from most cultivated lands in the watershed

• Source of sediment and water quality problems

• Sediment contributes to increased stream temperature and reduced stream productivity

• Surface soil erosion is the dominant type of erosion from most cultivated lands in the watershed

• Source of sediment and water quality problems

• Sediment contributes to increased stream temperature and reduced stream productivity

Problems

SolutionsSolutions

To protect, enhance and/or

restore fish habitat,

best management practices should

be developed and implemented

on agricultural lands.

To protect, enhance and/or

restore fish habitat,

best management practices should

be developed and implemented

on agricultural lands.

SolutionsSolutions

Best Management

Practices

Dryland Agriculture

Best Management

Practices

Dryland Agriculture

SolutionsSolutions

• Best Management Practices– Combination of practices that effectively and

practicably prevent or reduce the amount of

sediment delivery to receiving streams– Techniques that will begin restoration and

protection of aquatic habitat impacted by land management

• Best Management Practices– Combination of practices that effectively and

practicably prevent or reduce the amount of

sediment delivery to receiving streams– Techniques that will begin restoration and

protection of aquatic habitat impacted by land management

SolutionsSolutions

• Best Management Practices– Control and reduce erosion and subsequent

sedimentation:

• conservation tillage (no-till)

• sediment basins

• gully plugs

• culvert outlets

• grade stabilization

• grassed waterways

• permanent vegetation

• Best Management Practices– Control and reduce erosion and subsequent

sedimentation:

• conservation tillage (no-till)

• sediment basins

• gully plugs

• culvert outlets

• grade stabilization

• grassed waterways

• permanent vegetation

SolutionsSolutions

• Best Management Practices– Promote upland water storage:

• conservation tillage (no-till)

• ponds

• sediment basins

• riparian habitat improvements and protection

• Best Management Practices– Promote upland water storage:

• conservation tillage (no-till)

• ponds

• sediment basins

• riparian habitat improvements and protection

No-Till(Conservation Tillage)

Gully ErosionControl

Upland Water Storage

Little Canyon Creek

• BMPs currently being implemented in uppermost portions of the watershed (Long Hollow and Holes Creeks) through State Agricultural Water Quality Program

• BMPs currently being implemented in uppermost portions of the watershed (Long Hollow and Holes Creeks) through State Agricultural Water Quality Program

Little Canyon Creek

• BMPs currently being implemented in

Lower Little Canyon Creek through BPA

funded effort (ongoing for the past 27

months)

• BMPs currently being implemented in

Lower Little Canyon Creek through BPA

funded effort (ongoing for the past 27

months)

Little Canyon Creek

• Nearly 1/2 of the watershed will have received enhanced level of conservation efforts (Dec. 2001)

• BMPs implemented to date

• 4,100 acres of no-till• 12 sediment basins and 3 ponds• 9 gully plugs and 3 grade stabilization

structures• 7 grassed waterways• 8 culvert outlets• 2 off-site watering facilities

• Nearly 1/2 of the watershed will have received enhanced level of conservation efforts (Dec. 2001)

• BMPs implemented to date

• 4,100 acres of no-till• 12 sediment basins and 3 ponds• 9 gully plugs and 3 grade stabilization

structures• 7 grassed waterways• 8 culvert outlets• 2 off-site watering facilities

Little Canyon Creek

Soil savings over the practice’s life

expectancy totals over 225,000 TONS

Soil savings over the practice’s life

expectancy totals over 225,000 TONS

• Implement BMPs on agricultural uplands and adjacent riparian areas (~20,000 acres)

• Survey fish density and riparian habitat quality index in Little Canyon Creek

• Communicate with cooperating agencies on coordinate monitoring efforts (Nez Perce Tribe and DEQ)

Little Canyon Creek Project

Continued implementation ofBest Management Practices

to agricultural uplandsshould improve

steelhead trout habitatin Little Canyon Creek, Big Canyon Creek and

the Lower Clearwater River

Little Canyon Creek SubwatershedSteelhead Trout

Habitat Improvement Project

Sponsored by:Lewis Soil Conservation District