Welcome
Welcome to the CTUIR Fisheries Habitat website. We work to restore fish habitat across the lands of traditional use by the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla People. We work jointly with land owners, state and Federal agencies, regional program collaborators, and funders for the benefits of healthy and resilient watersheds and fisheries throughout the Columbia Basin.
CTUIR Fisheries Department Mission
To provide sustainable harvest opportunities for aquatic species of the first food order by protecting, conserving and restoring native populations and their habitats.
Program Goal
To protect, enhance, and restore functional floodplain, channel and watershed processes to provide sustainable and healthy habitat for aquatic First Food species.
Program Vision
Productive fish populations and natural water quality conditions depends on functionally healthy floodplain and channel ecosystems.
The Umatilla River Vision, developed under guidance of the Umatilla Tribe’s First Foods Concept, defines a functional river as a dynamic environment that incorporates and expresses ecological processes that continue the natural production of First Foods used by the Tribal community.
The River Vision provides an umbrella framework for restoration by focusing on the five touchstones of hydrology, geomorphology, connectivity, riparian vegetation, and aquatic biota. Operating under this framework, CTUIR floodplain/in-stream habitat and fish passage projects are planned, designed, implemented, and monitored across the usual and accustomed harvesting areas to achieve Fisheries Program goals of sustainable habitat and harvestable populations.
Program Objectives
Develop comprehensive and scientifically defensible restoration strategies based on the most recent and best available scientific information (Includes prioritizing actions and geographic areas).
Maintain and apply an updated knowledge of floodplain, channel and watershed function as it relates to healthy aquatic conditions and fish populations.
Build and maintain cooperative and coordinated relationships with other key agencies and stakeholders in order to maximize project efficiency, effectiveness and success.
Program Strategy and Planning Approach
The River Ecosystem Planning Approach
The Fisheries Habitat Program addresses channel and floodplain function and aquatic deficiencies through a systematic, holistic watershed planning approach.
Our Measurable Results
See the Results and Progress towards Restoring River Vision
Featured Project
Bird Track Spring Floodplain Restoration Project
This quarter’s featured fish habitat restoration project is located in the Grande Ronde River Basin.
Click the image to learn more about the project.
Explore Projects By Basin
Each Fisheries Habitat Program subbasin project has the ability to develop restoration projects within the geographic boundary of the subbasin, and selects and prioritizes restoration action types and locations based on scientifically defensible strategies and the best available scientific information.
Tucannon Watershed Habitat
Walla Walla River Basin Anadromous Fish Habitat Enhancement
Walla Walla Subbasin Fish Habitat
Ethan Green
541-429-7555
EthanGreen@ctuir.org
Walla Walla Touchet Fish Habitat & Rainwater Wildlife Area
Gerald Middel
541-969-9925
GeraldMiddel@ctuir.org
Umatilla Anadromous Fish Habitat
Grande Ronde Subbasin Restoration
NF John Day Fish Habitat
Program Collaborators & Funders
An objective of the program is to build and maintain cooperative and coordinated relationships with other key agencies and stakeholders in order to maximize project efficiency, effectiveness and success. See a list of our collaborators here.