UGR River Bowman Habitat Enhancement Project

The Bowman Fish Habitat Restoration Project is located between RM 153.8 and 155.2 of the Upper Grande Ronde River, tributary to the Snake River, in Union County, Oregon. The project reach is in UGR Atlas Tier 1 habitat and this opportunity ranked 6th overall in the UGR basin. This section of the Grande Ronde River provides important spawning and rearing habitat for ESA listed spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead. Chinook and steelhead spawning and rearing occurs in the project reach. It is also used by ESA listed bull trout, Oregon Sensitive Species redband trout, and other important native fish species. Throughout the project reach, the Grande Ronde River is over-widened and shallow. Pool habitat and wood recruitment is poor. High water temperatures impact adult Chinook salmon during migration and holding and juvenile rearing. Salmonid winter and summer rearing, adult immigration, adult holding, and spawning/incubation/emergence have been identified by the Upper Grande Ronde science and technical advisory committee as critical life stage uses in need of immediate action for population abundance, productivity, and sustainability. Riparian condition, water temperature, side channel and wetland conditions, and floodplain condition are identified as priority limiting factors that are critical to address. Restoration actions for this project target critical salmonid life stages and limiting factors, and include: pool development, floodplain reconnection, side channel and off-channel habitat restoration, riparian fencing, LWD placement, and channel reconstruction. This project will provide immediate benefits to ESA listed salmon and steelhead by improving and expanding migration, spawning, incubation and emergence, and summer and overwinter rearing habitats. This project will increase abundance and productivity of salmon, steelhead, and multiple native fish species.