F24AC01780

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and Trout Unlimited, with support from the Upper and Lower Similkameen Indian Bands, will complete an assessment of the feasibility of removing Enloe Dam on the Similkameen River in Washington State.

Funding from the USFWS will support the collection of additional information to complete the feasibility assessment and advance engineering and design of dam removal to 60 percent.

Additional deliverables include generating a refined cost estimate for dam removal and preparation of permit applications, and the identification of a project sponsor to acquire ownership of the dam from Okanogan Public Utility District and execute construction contracts and purchase an insurance package that protects the OPUD from liability.

Completing these strategic actions will prepare for the removal of Enloe Dam during the next phase of the project to reconnect the Similkameen River with habitat downstream and allow access to 1,520 miles of spawning and rearing habitat to increase climate change resilience and prevent the extirpation of Upper Columbia steelhead in the Okanogan Basin.

As tributaries in the lower Okanogan River continue to see warmer water temperatures that approach lethal levels for steelhead and salmon, reconnecting the Similkameen's extensive network of cold water habitat could be the last best chance to prevent extirpation of these fish in the Okanogan Basin.

The Okanogan River steelhead population is at risk due to limited diversity and spatial structure and has a greater than 25 percent chance of extinction within the next century.

Tribal fisheries of major importance historically occurred on the Okanogan River at multiple locations downstream from rapids or falls.

From June to October, salmon fishing was a primary focus of tribal subsistence activities, and salmon ceremonies were held during the initial days of fishing at each camp.

Subsistence of Native Americans along the Okanogan River consisted of 25 percent fish.

However, these important fisheries no longer exist due to habitat fragmentation by hydroelectric dams or increased water temperature due to loss of cold water inputs and heating by solar absorption at enlarged surface areas of reservoirs.

The removal of Enloe Dam will not fully replace the lost tribal fisheries of both the Kettle and Okanogan Rivers, but it would strengthen the populations of these iconic species and provide a cultural fishery.

The removal of Enloe Dam also is specifically identified as a priority conservation action in NOAA's recent draft report titled "Rebuilding Interior Columbia Basin Salmon and Steelhead."

Unlimited Trout

THE NATIONAL FISH PASSAGE PROGRAM WORKS TO RESTORE NATIVE FISH AND OTHER AQUATIC SPECIES TO SELF-SUSTAINING LEVELS BY RECONNECTING HABITATS FRAGMENTED BY BARRIERS. THE PROGRAM ALSO STRIVES TO DELIVER BENEFITS TO HUMAN COMMUNITIES THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND OTHER ACTIONS THAT INCREASE RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS.

15.685 - National Fish Passage

FWS Headquarters (HQ) [DOI - FWS]

Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1: Pacific [DOI - FWS]

Oroville, Washington United States

City-Wide

F24AS00062 National Fish Passage Program Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Restoring River, Floodplain, and Coastal Connectivity and Resiliency (F24AS00062)