Elmer DAM is located on catherine creek at RM 13.1 and is a concrete flashboard irrigation structure approximately 8 feet tall by 80 feet wide and used to store agricultural irrigation water in the…

This U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1 grant award under the National Fish Passage Program (CFDA #15.685) will fund two key fish habitat restoration projects in Oregon. The $4,324,657.25 grant, awarded on October 1, 2024, will support the Union Soil and Water Conservation District in improving fish passage and habitat connectivity in the Grande Ronde River sub-basin.

The first project will construct a fishway around the Elmer Dam on Catherine Creek to restore passage for native fish species like spring Chinook salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey. Additionally, the district will replace irrigation infrastructure at the Royes Dam on Willow Creek, eliminating a fish passage barrier and improving flow conditions for ESA-listed salmonids. These efforts will reconnect over 40 miles of critical spawning and rearing habitat, increase water use efficiency, and enhance the overall hydrologic regime in these priority watersheds.

Elmer DAM is located on catherine creek at RM 13.1 and is a concrete flashboard irrigation structure approximately 8 feet tall by 80 feet wide and used to store agricultural irrigation water in the channel. The DAM impacts water quality hydraulics habitat complexity and fish passage. The project area is the migration corridor for all native fish species to upper catherine creek including state sensitive redband trout and pacific lamprey as well as designated critical habitat for ESA listed species of spring chinook salmon steelhead and bull trout.project goals are to improve fish passage decrease negative hydrologic effects and increase water use efficiency. A fishway will be created around elmer DAM that meets odfw and NOAA fisheries passage criteria. The fishway and DAM improvements coupled with on farm improvements to off channel reservoirs and intakes will result in more natural hydrologic scenarios throughout this migration corridor for all native fishes. The project will improve volitional fish passage to approximately 40 miles of critical spawning and rearing habitat increase water use efficiency increase aquatic habitat quality improve long term aquatic connectivity and improve the hydrologic regime in this priority watershed. The royes DAM is located on willow creek 3.8 miles upstream of the confluence with the grande ronde river. The DAM is a physical obstruction for fish migration into willow creek. Stoplogs installed create a vertical jump of almost 8 feet. In combination with instream flow limitations passage of salmonids is potentially completely blocked as flow decreases. Chinook salmon moving into willow creek in the early summer months are impacted by the decrease in instream flow and installation of stoplogs in the diversion structures. This project will restore fish passage and improve flow conditions for ESA listed spring chinook salmon and steelhead. The project proposes to replace the four existing irrigation pumps that divert water from willow creek above the royes DAM. The proposed pump intake screens will meet both odfw and NOAA fish passage standards. Turbine style irrigation pumps allow pump impellers to be located below water surface elevation which limits the required pool elevation. Turbine style pumps are proposed to replace the existing facilities. The design targets a minimum vertical separation of 0.5 feet between the stream bed and the bottom of the intake screen and a minimum depth above the top of the intake screens of 1.5 feet during low pool operation. The installation of 3 new turbine pump systems will eliminate the need for the installation of boards in the royes DAM. This action will allow salmonids and other native fish species access to the upper portion of the willow creek basin. Adult steelhead will be able to navigate the lower sections of willow creek without seasonal limitations. Adult chinook will have access to the willow creek basin for the first time in over 70 years. In addition these new pump systems will improve hydraulic conditions at the site and water quality by eliminating the backwater effects created by the royes DAM.