Planting and Maintaining Native Riparian and Upland Shrubs and Trees at Snake River.

EAS is restoring approximately 60 acres of wildlife habitat that was lost during the construction activities of the Lower Snake River Project (LSRP). The LSRP built the Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite Dams along the Lower Snake River for the purposes of navigation, irrigation, and hydroelectric power production. EAS’s work to restore this area to high-quality, self-sustaining, native habitat is helping the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) meet its Lower Snake River Fish and Wildlife Compensation Plan goals and comply with the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. EAS worked with the USACE to understand past restoration efforts that have not yielded the desired long-term success.

EAS designed the restoration plan and has implemented a work plan to achieve the objectives. EAS will have planted 24,000 trees and shrubs by the end of the project and maintained the plantings to ensure the establishment of a 65% survival rate, removing and controlling invasive plant species to facilitate planting success. All disturbed areas are re-seeded with native grass seed mix.

EAS’s restoration plan included site staging, site preparation efforts such contouring activities, planting prescriptions with specific native species compositions and site layout, native grass re-seeding, and a three-year watering and weed maintenance plan. The draft and final work plan included technical approach, work schedules, personnel training program, accident prevention plan (including use of chemicals and heavy equipment), and an environmental management plan.