Little Canyon Creek Subwatershed Steelhead Trout Habitat Improvement
Little Canyon Creek Subwatershed Steelhead Trout Habitat Improvement Project Sponsored by: Lewis Soil Conservation District
Project 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
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
Problems • 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
Solutions To protect, enhance and/or restore fish habitat, best management practices should be developed and implemented on agricultural lands.
Solutions Best Management Practices Dryland Agriculture
Solutions • 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
Solutions • 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
Solutions • Best Management Practices – Promote upland water storage: • conservation tillage (no-till) • ponds • sediment basins • riparian habitat improvements and protection
No-Till (Conservation Tillage)
Gully Erosion Control
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
Little Canyon Creek • 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
Little Canyon Creek Soil savings over the practice’s life expectancy totals over 225, 000 TONS
Little Canyon Creek Project • 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)
Continued implementation of Best Management Practices to agricultural uplands should improve steelhead trout habitat in Little Canyon Creek, Big Canyon Creek and the Lower Clearwater River
Little Canyon Creek Subwatershed Steelhead Trout Habitat Improvement Project Sponsored by: Lewis Soil Conservation District
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