The Clark Fork River Delta Restoration Project

Planting/Monitoring Workshop

Venue: Panhandle State Bank Community Room, 414 Church Street, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864

When: February 20, 2014

Agenda

Workshop Goal: The purpose of the workshop is to develop planting and monitoring strategies and working teams for the Clark Fork River Delta Restoration Project.

1. (10:00 am PST) Introductions and Sign-In; Update on project design, permitting and timelines

Project is being proposed in two phases.
Phase I project area in the winter with the lake at its lowest elevation of 2,051 feet.
Pack River delta project immediately after the construction; described by some as a “moon-scape.”
The same area five growing seasons later.
The construction of the vegetated rock protection was fairly simple. First the engineer determines the correct elevation and then a trench is dug. Next willows are placed in the trench and covered with soil and rock.
The finished vegetated protection.
Area 3 with an overlay of the construction activities.
A 100 meter grid is overlaid and random sample points selected.
Area 3 prior to construction showing example monitoring transects.
Showing where the monitoring transects will occur after the construction.

2. (10:30 am PST) Introducing the webpage and planting/monitoring objectives and “Team” approach

PROPOSED PROJECT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

The project goal is to protect, improve and restore key riparian and wetland habitats and their ecological function in the Clark Fork River delta. Project objectives to meet this goal are as follows:

A. Protect delta shorelines from erosion
Strategy: A combination of “hard” (i.e, structures constructed with rock and vegetation) and “soft” (i.e., structures constructed with wood and vegetation) engineered structures and vegetated riprap will be constructed to protect saturated wetland soils along the delta shorelines from slumping into the water when Lake Pend Oreille is drawn down.
Measure of Accomplishment: Implementation of this strategy is deemed successful if >80% of design elements is placed and persists for ten years. Project will be evaluated at 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year bench marks.
Measure of Effectiveness: Photographic points, surveyed cross-sections and bank pins taken annually for at least five years will be some of the methods to obtain information on the rate of erosion along protected delta shorelines. LiDAR information will also provide the change in land area before and after the completion of the construction. It is expected that the protection will reduce the rate of erosion by >80% and that by project design, some areas will see deposition.

B. Protect existing island areas from erosion and create protective “barrier” island areas
Strategy: The front of leading islands in the delta will be reinforced with vegetated “hard” and “soft” breakwater structures to protect them against scouring wave action.
Measurement of Accomplishment: Implementation of this strategy is deemed successful if >80% of design elements (i.e., Feet of structures installed; area of islands protected) is actually placed and persists for ten years. Project will be evaluated at 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year bench marks.
Measure of Effectiveness: LiDAR information as well as survey and annual monitoring will be completed to detect any changes in erosion rates. It is expected that the protection will reduce the rate of erosion by >80%.

C. A portion of the delta islands that are currently submerged will be raised to restore and expand wildlife habitat lost due to inundation
Strategy: The height and stability of a portion of the summertime submerged delta islands will be increased to improve their ability to support high-value habitat for numerous species of waterfowl and wildlife, year-round.
Measure of Accomplishment: Implementation of this strategy is deemed successful if >80% of design elements (i.e., acres of restored habitat) is actually placed and persists for 10 years. Project will be evaluated at 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year bench marks.
Measure of Effectiveness: For monitoring and evaluation purposes “restored habitat” is defined as an area being >80% vegetated with native species comprising >80% of the vegetative cover. Implementation of this strategy is expected to be successful if >80% of the design elements is actually placed, >70% the vegetation placed persists for ten years or longer, and if natural recruitment of native species occurs and persists on the newly constructed areas resulting in a plant species richness/diversity increase from the baseline.

D. Increase wetland habitat diversity
Strategy: The presence of noxious and invasive weeds on and within 600 feet of the restoration project area will be reduced and controlled prior to and during construction to prepare the restoration site for the establishment of native species.
Measure of Accomplishment: The project area will be surveyed and mapped and then monitored and treated for noxious weed control. Survival and growth of native species; recruitment of native species will be completed. Implementation of this strategy is deemed successful if surveyed and treated areas see a >80% reduction in noxious and invasive weed infestations.
Measure of Effectiveness: Implementation of the project will be deemed successful if a >80% reduction in noxious and invasive weed infestations is found on the restored areas.

3. (12:00 Noon PST) Lunch

4. (1:00 am – 3:00 pm PST) Afternoon Presentations and Panel Discussion

Dr. Alex Fremier (WSU) – Using terrestrial Scanning LiDAR to measure the geomorphic and vegetative surface. (15 minutes)

Chris Bonsignore (DU) – Soil Monitoring (15 minutes)

Carrie Hugo (BLM)/Betsy Hull (ACOE) – Avian Monitoring (15 minutes)

Michael Lucid (IDFG) – Using the Multi-Species Baseline Initiative (MBI) to collect micro-climate information and information on wildlife species, especially the 20 species of Greatest Conservation Need listed in State Wildlife Action Plan. (15 minutes)