Operational Plan for the Restoration of Diadromous Fishes to the ...

22.0 Objective: Protect or restore critical habitat for diadromous fish (spawning,
nursery, feeding, overwintering) within 40 years.
Measure: Complete 50% of necessary habitat identification, mapping, and
assessment in all subwatersheds in five years, 75% in 15 years, and 100% in 25
years.
• Measure: Develop multi-species habitat protection and restoration plan in five
years with a focus on key sub-drainages or river reaches targeted for earliest
restoration.
• Measure: Complete 10% of restoration projects in 10 years, 20% in 20 years,
50% in 30 years, 70% in 40 years, and 100% in 50 years. 17
• Measure: Improve current method of environmental review (hydropower review,
DOT projects, MNPDES permits within 5 years.
22.1 Strategy: Expand USFWS barrier model by adding existing layers
(habitat historically and currently used by each species, water quality
classifications, point source discharges, non-native species) within two
years.
22.2 Strategy: Develop GIS model(s) to predict the location and amount of
Atlantic salmon habitat in the watershed within 3 years and verify model(s)
with existing on-the- ground surveys.
22.3 Strategy: Conduct expanded DMR “Big River” physical habitat surveys
on stratified random sample of habitat types within five years to provide data
to verify the salmon GIS model(s).
22.4 Strategy: Maintain or expand water temperature measurements in
salmon habitat over the next five years, but incorporate into a unified plan for
the basin.
22.5 Strategy: For 11 other species conduct studies (e.g. telemetry) or
survey (e.g. visual or auditory) to identify spawning, nursery, feeding, and
overwintering habitat as appropriate, and incorporate into USFWS barrier
model within five years.
22.6 Strategy: Prioritize restoration projects for each species per Roni et al.
(2002):
a. Protect unimpaired habitat.
b. Reconnect isolated habitats.
c. Improve/remove roads that alter hydrology, sediment, organic
material.
d. Increase nutrients to salmon waters if levels are low.
e. Restore riparian processes (shade, sediment storage, water
storage, bank stabilization, stream complexity).
f. Restore instream habitat (woody debris, boulders).
22.7 Strategy: Revisit the water management plan for the one major water
control structure in the drainage Grand Lake Matagamon
a. Determine how the existing plan affects habitat availability,
geomorphic and hydrologic functions in the East Branch.
17 See Passage and connectivity for schedule for barrier projects.
PRFP Page 86