Miami River Wetland Enhancement Phases 1 - 3
Tillamook Estuaries Partnership

2010 Wetland Project Award, Oregon State Land Board. Award article:
http://www.oregon.gov/DSL/SLB/awards2010.shtml

VAI assisted the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) with all aspects of a 52-acre aquatic, riparian and wetland habitat enhancement project on the Miami River floodplain. This project was funded by US Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the North Coast Salmon & Steelhead Enhancement Fund. The main project objective is to provide multiple ecological benefits including restoring tidal swamp wetland habitat to benefit a number of species and enhancing habitat for juvenile salmonids including coho and chum.

The Phase I feasibility study included the development of four concept-level designs and cost estimates that were presented to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Concept alternatives focused on filling drainage ditches and remeandering straightened stream channels, excavating blind tidal channels visible in historic air photos, adding habitat complexity through the placement and addition of large wood, and restoring native tidal swamp vegetation to specific areas.

For the preferred alternative, VAI prepared a wetland delineation report and managed subconsultants to provide survey and an archeological investigation of the site. In addition, VAI coordinated with TEP and the local public utilities district to relocate overhead lines. The results of these efforts were used to develop a preliminary (50%) design for permitting and later into construction drawings, specifications, and cost estimates. VAI provided fee and construction estimates and recommended project phasing to assist grant funding efforts.

VAI assisted TEP with environmental permitting by providing narrative language, quantities and figures. Permits included: Joint Application Materials for State Removal-Fill Law and Sections 401/404 of the Clean Water Act (included documentation to support Endangered Species Act compliance) and NPDES 1200-C permit application. VAI coordinated with multiple agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon Department of State Lands, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and NOAA Fisheries to facilitate application review. VAI also met with landowners throughout the process to understand their needs and determine a route for their continued access through specific areas of the site.

For later phases, VAI provided bid assistance and construction management services during the summers of 2010 and 2011. Construction was completed during the summer of 2011. VAI has also developed an effectiveness monitoring plan that was used for grant requests and for pre- and post-construction monitoring. It will be used as a resource for monitoring protocol on other TEP projects.

Project Objectives:

Restore natural tide and river flood processes to benefit numerous species and enhance habitat for juvenile salmonids

Increase freshwater and tidal channel complexity

Restore the historical character of the site’s vegetation through removing invasive species and planting native species

Enhance riparian vegetation along the river to provide shade, increase dissolved oxygen, and provide a source of wood for recruitment