Western Native Trout Initiative

Irrigation diversions and their operation may degrade aquatic habitats, create passage barriers, and be direct sources of fish mortality through entrainment. Construction of new structures can alleviate these problems and provide outreach opportunities to encourage landowners to replace old structures with those designed to protect fish.

This project will replace existing diversion structure with new one engineered for upstream and downstream fish passage concurrent with irrigation practices; install ODFW approved and fabricated screen to prevent entrainment of adult and juvenile fish; and ensure proper oversight and contingencies for maintenance, monitoring, and adjustments for two years.

The PFW has contracted surveys used for engineering design of structures incorporating site conditions, fish passage and protection consideration, and concurrent irrigation diversion. WNTI funds are primarily intended as cost share in screen and diversion installation, and follow up survey and potential structure adjustments that may be necessary.

Warner basin redband trout inhabit Honey Creek. The creek is also a key stream for Warner sucker recovery and contains designated critical habitat. This project is a good example of cross program results work with a local rancher. The survey, modeling, and design work was provided by USFWS Recovery funds, and the USFWS PFW program is overseeing partner coordination, project and contract implementation, and environmental compliance, as well as funding a portion of the fish screen installation. Funds requested from WNTI are intended to contribute to screen and diversion installation and follow-up monitoring and oversight/adjustments to the structures. A funding request to OWEB is intended to contribute to the diversion structure. The ODFW Screen Shop is designing and fabricating the screen. Once implemented, the project will remove one fish barrier, providing access to two miles of stream by redband trout and Warner sucker, install one fish screen, improve about 0.25 mile of instream habitat through the removal of the existing flash board diversion structure, and provide outreach opportunities to encourage local ranchers to participate in fish conservation efforts that are compatible with ranch operations.