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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021 10 29 Hoh River Phase I Steering Committee Meeting Summary Page 1 | 3 Hoh River Resiliency Plan PHASE I Middle Hoh Resiliency Steering Committee Meeting Summary Friday, October 29, 2021 1:00 PM – 2:21 PM Welcome/Introductions In attendance: Rebekah Brooks (Rebekah Brooks Contracting), John Davis (Federal Highway Administration [FHWA], Western Federal Lands), Mike Ericsson (Natural Systems Design), Alec Harrison (FHWA, Western Federal Lands), Luke Kelly (Trout Unlimited), Betsy Krier (Wild Fish Conservancy), Stephen Morrow (FHWA, Western Federal Lands), Rich Osborne (Coast Salmon Partnership), Tami Pokorny (Jefferson County), Erika Porter (US Forest Service), Theresa Powell (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife [WDFW]), Jill Silver (10,000 Years Institute) Agenda Changes/Additions None Approval of the August 16, 2021 Draft Meeting Summary Jill Silver sent in some corrections to the names of invasive plants. The summary was approved by consensus with those corrections. Announcements/Comments Jill Silver reported that the Hoh River came up to 23,400 cfs yesterday evening, but it had come down again to below 14,000 cfs. There was quite a bit of erosion at Brandeberry. Alec Harrison said that the project site was looking good. New Business US Department of Transportation Western Federal Lands Upper Hoh Road Project Construction Session Review: Alec Harrison, Project Engineer for Hoh Project Alec welcomed Environmental Specialist Stephen Morrow to give an update before the presentation. Stephen gave an summary of the required mitigation actions and permitting schedule for Morgan’s Crossing. The project is scheduled to be completed by fall of 2023, in conjunction with the permits. The scope and budget will be determined this winter. Alec presented on the Upper Hoh River Road Phase 2. Implementation of the three-season project was started this year. The in-water window for construction is from 7/15 to 8/31; this short time period requires a great deal preparation ahead of time so the construction team can hit the ground running each season. The project involves 29 engineered log jams (ELJs), two bridge crossings, and a box culvert, all within the first ten miles of the Hoh River, which is owned by the County. One bridge was completed this year, and about a third of the ELJs. The purpose of the project is to provide continued access to the Page 2 | 3 Hoh River Resiliency Plan PHASE I Hoh River Olympic National Park and nearby businesses through bank stabilization and replacing three road crossing structures. The project is a partnership between Western Federal Lands, Jefferson County, the National Park Service and other stakeholders. The ELJs are designed to restore habitat and protect the road from aggressive bank erosion. The typical response has been to line the banks with riprap, but that does not provide habitat or complexity and prevents natural river processes. The ELJ project sites are at MP 4.0 and MP 7.8, where the river comes right up to the roadway. Alec gave an overview of the ELJ preparation and construction; the logs are anchored and ballasted by concrete dolosse that weigh eight tons each. The complete project design can be found at a003_wa-a2013020-final_plans.pdf (dot.gov). The log jams are performing well in high flows so far, and will be monitored over the winter. The group discussed the challenges of the short work window; long-term monitoring for movement, hydraulic effects and revegetation success; and the 100-year flood event design. Luke Kelly requested a future update on Oil City Project from John Davis. Alec can be contacted directly with any concerns regarding the ELJs. Alec moved on to an overview of the preparation of the project site and construction of the Canyon Creek Bridge Project at MP 10. The existing Canyon Creek culvert was rusted out and separated at joints, creating a fish barrier. It was replaced with a 120-foot single span bridge with five pre-cast concrete girders. Project challenges included maintaining road access for the duration of the project. The natural stream channel was restored, and 10,000 Years Institute worked to remove the invasive spotted jewel weed. This was the first of three years for the project, so the down season will provide an opportunity to plan for more efficiency next year. Overall, it was a very successful season. The group discussed monitoring for invasive plants; and the 5.9% gradient for the project site. Alec said he was happy to provide updates over the course of the project. Associated project documents, including weekly newsletter updates on the project, can be found at Upper Hoh River Road Phase 2 | FHWA (dot.gov). Resiliency Plan Update: Tami Pokorny Tami announced that the review team is going over the second draft of the Resiliency Plan with the received comments. That should take a couple of weeks. The new version should be on the website by mid-November, in time for the next Hoh River Resiliency Steering Committee Meeting. Owl Creek Restoration Update: Luke Kelly Luke reported that the assessment and preliminary design for Owl Creek is going well. They are assessing about 1.7 miles of the creek, as there is a waterfall at about 1.75 miles that creates a natural barrier. They are holding stakeholder meetings, and moving forward to preliminary designs. Helicopter- placed log jams were selected as the preferred alternative. Preliminary designs should be ready by 9/2022. Watershed Observation and Additional News: All Tami reported flooding at Fletcher Ranch. Luke mentioned WDFW Town Hall meetings for winter steelhead recreational fisheries; he is happy to share his notes and experience, and commended WDFW for considering all stakeholders and tools to meet conservation measures. Announcements/Comments None Next Agenda Page 3 | 3 Hoh River Resiliency Plan PHASE I Friday, November 19, 1pm – 3:00 pm Remote Only Adjourn The Meeting adjourned at 2:21 PM. Meeting summary prepared by Rebekah Brooks (Rebekah Brooks Contracting).