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Lower John Day Canyons Restoration Initiative

Counties: Gilliam, Wheeler

Primary Resource Concern: 

  • Aquatic habitat - Aquatic habitat for fish and other organisms, Elevated water temperature 
  • Field sediment nutrient pathogen loss - Sediment transported to surface water
  • Degraded plant condition - Plant productivity and health, Plant structure and composition
  • Livestock production limitation - Feed and forage balance, Inadequate livestock shelter, Inadequate livestock water quantity, quality and distribution
  • Terrestrial habitat - Terrestrial habitat for wildlife and invertebrates

Project Description
The goal of the Lower John Day Canyons Restoration Initiative (LJDCRI) is to protect and enhance over 40 miles of critical Mid-Columbia Steelhead habitat in the Lower John Day Basin. Planned project activities include landscape-scale restoration efforts using exclusion fencing, beaver dam analog structures and riparian plantings to improve native fish habitat.

Conservation Practices

  • Brush Management (314)
  • Prescribed Burning (338)
  • Sediment Basin (350)
  • Fence (382)
  • Fuel Break (383)
  • Riparian Forest Buffer (391)
  • Firebreak (394)
  • Obstruction Removal(500)
  • Livestock Pipeline (516)
  • Pumping Plant (533)
  • Range Planting (550)
  • Access Road (560)
  • Spring Development (574)
  • Watering Facility (614)
  • Water Well (642)
  • Restoration of Rare or Declining Natural Communities (643)
  • Forest Stand Improvement (666)

Collaborating Partners

  • Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Gilliam-East John Day Watershed Council
  • Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
  • Oregon Department of Agriculture
  • Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
  • Gilliam Soil Conservation District
  • NRCS Oregon
  • Private landowners

Application Questions
NRCS uses prioritization questions to evaluate applications for this initiative. See the list of workload prioritization questions on the Oregon EQIP page. Ranking questions below will also apply.

Ranking Questions

  1. Does the applicant have expired CRP and is he/she willing to enhance the field for proper grazing by implementing NRCS practices available through this funding pool?   
  2. Is the applicant planning to treat juniper in priority sites as determined by NRCS and as stated in the CIS?                                                                                          
  3. Does the application include water developments whose primary intent is to more effectively distribute livestock there by reducing grazing pressure on areas that have been historically over utilized due to topography or current water locations?                  
  4. Is the land offered for juniper treatment suitable for prescribed burning and is the landowner willing to develop a prescribed burn plan and implement it?
  5. Has the NIPF offered in this application been treated within the last 15 years?
  6. Was the last time that the NIPF offered in this application treated greater than 15 years ago?          
  7. The application includes Post Line Wicker Weaves on a stream with salmonid presence?
  8. The application includes Post Line Wicker Weaves on a stream within the geographic boundaries of the RCPP?  
     

How to Apply
If you're interested in applying for this Program, please contact:

Herb Winters, GSWCD Manager and Project Leader
Email:  herb.gilliamswcd@gmail.com
Phone: 541-384-2671 extension 110