Upper Lapwai Creek Watershed Based Plan
General Overview
The Upper Lapwai Creek (ULC) watershed is located within the exterior boundaries of the Nez Perce Reservation, as established by the Treaty of 1863. It is southwest of the City of Craigmont, ID and south of the City of Winchester. The Nez Perce Tribe (Tribe) proposes to take the lead in developing a Watershed Based Plan (WBP) for this catchment.
The ULC watershed is rural in nature, with a relatively sparse population base. The watershed drains approximately 7,800 acres of land; 52% of the land in the watershed is comprised of crop and pastureland, 44% is considered forest and rangeland, and 2% is used for residential purposes (U.S.Geological Survey, 2013). All streams within the watershed feed into the 100-acre Winchester Lake, which is a man-made reservoir that was formed by the damming of Lapwai Creek in 1910 to create a mill pond. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game now owns the lake and the land immediately adjacent to it. The ULC watershed extends from the outlet of Winchester Lake to the headwaters of the tributaries feeding Winchester Lake.
The following steps show the progression of tasks that will be undertaken in order to achieve project goals:
- Build Partnerships
- Identify stakeholders
- Conduct outreach campaign
- Determine WAG members
- Develop preliminary goals
- Characterize the Watershed
- Collect and organize existing data
- Identify any data gaps and collect additional data as needed
- Analyze data and identify pollutants of concern
- Identify causes and sources of pollution
- Identify Solutions
- Finalize management objectives and overall goals
- Develop target criteria for pollutants of concern
- Identify critical areas
- Create list of BMPs that will address particular impairments
- Finalize WBP and Begin Implementation
- Implement BMPs and conduct effectiveness monitoring
- Continue conducting information/education activities
- Develop annual work plans and associated schedule
- Share results and keep stakeholders engaged