Blind Slough Restoration Project

1
Blind Slough Restoration Project
Project Sponsors Clatsop Diking Improvement
Company 7 U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Columbia River Estuary Study Task
Force Nicolai-Wickiup Watershed Council
2
Blind Slough Project Location (RM 27)
3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
Blind Slough Proximity and Connectivity to
Cathlamet Bay
7
Problem Statement Loss of Habitat Connectivity
 

Brownsmead 1875
Brownsmead 1977
Source Changes in Columbia River Estuary
Habitat Types (D. Thomas, 1983)
8
Problem Statement Historic Habitat Type Loss
9
Restore tidal connection to 7 miles of slough
habitat between Blind Slough and the Columbia
River Estuary by breaching the Blind Slough dike,
replacement and/or installation of culverts, and
channel enhancement.
Project Goal
10
Blind Slough Restoration Activities

• 1 Aldrich Point Culvert
• 2 RR Crossing Culvert
• 3 Historic Channel Enhancement
• 4 Saspal Slough Culvert
• 5 Leino Lane Culvert
• 6 Breach Blind Slough Dike
• 7 Anderson Road Culvert

1
2
4
3
5
7
6
11
Blind Slough Dike
12
Pre and post project monitoring of Blind Slough
will determine project effectiveness in water
quality improvement as well as increased access
to spawning and off-channel rearing habitat for
salmonid species.
Effectiveness Monitoring
.
 
13
2000 National Marine Fisheries Service FCRPS
Biological Opinion

• The Corps is to play a lead role in developing
  and funding restoration projects with BPA
  primarily providing cost-share funding.
• Examples of acceptable estuary habitat
  improvement work that relate directly to Blind
  Slough Restoration include  
• Breaching levees
• Improving wetlands and aquatic plant
  communities
• Enhancing moist soil and wooded wetland via
  better management of river flows
• Reestablishing flow patterns that have been
  altered by causeways
• Creating shallow channels in inter-tidal areas
• Enhancing connections between lakes, sloughs,
  side channels, and the main channel
• Emphasizes the need to compile information to
  assess effectiveness of management activities.