PROJECT BIG WOOD A NONPROFIT CORPORATION

PROJECT BIG WOOD FY 2024-2025 FOCUSED ON EXPANDING THE SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION REQUIRED TO REBALANCE AND RESTORE THE BIG WOOD RIVER WATERSHED. AS HYDROLOGIC VARIABILITY INCREASES AND DEMANDS ON THE SYSTEM INTENSIFY, OUR WORK CENTERS ON GENERATING CREDIBLE DATA, REFINING RESTORATION PRIORITIES, AND STRENGTHENING COLLABORATION ACROSS USER GROUPS. THE MISSION OF PROJECT BIG WOOD IS TO CREATE A BETTER BIG WOOD THROUGH DATA, EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, AND EARTHWORKS. DATA DURING FY 2024-2025, PROJECT BIG WOOD CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION AND EXPANSION OF ITS WATERSHED MONITORING PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN LONG-TERM BASELINE DATASETS AND INFORM RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT DECISIONS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: - ONGOING MONTHLY WATER QUALITY SAMPLING ACROSS ESTABLISHED MONITORING SITES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCIENCE ON THE FLY - LABORATORY ANALYSIS OF DISSOLVED ORGANIC CARBON, NITRATES, PHOSPHATES, AND CHLORIDE - CONTINUED EVALUATION OF WATER QUANTITY DATA THROUGH DEPLOYMENT AND ANALYSIS OF BAROMETRIC LOGGERS WITHIN THE RIVER AND CANAL SYSTEMS - ADVANCEMENT OF A WATERSHED-SCALE ATLAS INCORPORATING LIDAR DATA, GEOMORPHIC MAPPING, WOOD PRESENCE, EFFECTIVE SHADE, AND HABITAT SUITABILITY MODELING - DEVELOPMENT OF VISUAL REPORTING TOOLS TO COMMUNICATE MONITORING RESULTS TO STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PUBLIC THESE EFFORTS ESTABLISH A LONG-TERM SCIENTIFIC BASELINE THAT INFORMS RESTORATION PRIORITIZATION, TRACKS WATERSHED HEALTH TRENDS OVER TIME, AND STRENGTHENS THE ABILITY OF STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE DATA-DRIVEN WATER MANAGEMENT DECISIONS. BY MAINTAINING CONSISTENT MONITORING AND INTEGRATING MULTIPLE DATASETS, PROJECT BIG WOOD SUPPORTS INFORMED, TRANSPARENT, AND ADAPTIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ACROSS THE BASIN. CONTINUED NEXT PAGE EDUCATION PROJECT BIG WOOD EXPANDED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: - ENGAGEMENT OF VOLUNTEERS AND YOUTH PARTICIPANTS IN WATER SAMPLING AND MONITORING ACTIVITIES - COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL OUTFITTERS, GUIDES, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO INTEGRATE CITIZEN SCIENCE INTO PROGRAMMING - PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND EVENTS HIGHLIGHTING WATERSHED CONDITIONS AND RESTORATION EFFORTS - DISTRIBUTION OF VISUAL WATER REPORTS AND STATE OF THE BIG WOOD TO IMPROVE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF RIVER HEALTH TRENDS - ATLAS 2.0 - PBW IS ADVANCING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXPANDED, DATA-DRIVEN WATERSHED ATLAS INCORPORATING LIDAR DATA, GEOMORPHIC UNITS, WOOD PRESENCE, EFFECTIVE SHADE, AND HABITAT SUITABILITY MODELING. THESE EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING OF WATERSHED CONDITIONS, INCREASE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN STEWARDSHIP AND CITIZEN SCIENCE ACTIVITIES, AND BUILD LONG-TERM LOCAL CAPACITY TO SUPPORT INFORMED CONSERVATION AND RIVER HEALTH ACROSS THE BASIN. ADVOCACY DURING FY 2024-2025, PROJECT BIG WOOD ENGAGED STAKEHOLDERS TO SUPPORT SCIENCE-BASED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: - ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH IRRIGATORS AND WATER USERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND SYSTEM-WIDE WATER MOVEMENT AND DELIVERY DYNAMICS - PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS REGARDING WATER MANAGEMENT AND RIVER HEALTH - DEVELOPMENT OF ACCESSIBLE DATA TOOLS AND STORY MAPS TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY AROUND WATERSHED CONDITIONS - COORDINATION WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL PARTNERS TO ALIGN RESTORATION PRIORITIES WITH BROADER WATER MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES THESE EFFORTS PROMOTE INFORMED, SCIENCE-BASED DIALOGUE AMONG WATER USERS, AGENCIES, AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, STRENGTHENING COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES TO WATER MANAGEMENT AND LONG-TERM WATERSHED RESILIENCE. CONTINUED NEXT PAGE EARTHWORKS PROJECT BIG WOOD CONTINUED ADVANCING PRIORITY RESTORATION PROJECTS WITHIN THE WATERSHED FROM PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT INTO DEVELOPMENT AND PERMITTING PHASES. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: - FUNDING FISH SCREENS FOR 25/26 INSTALLATION WITHIN THE CANAL SYSTEMS - REFINEMENT OF RESTORATION DESIGNS USING UPDATED GEOMORPHIC AND MONITORING DATA - COORDINATION WITH COUNTY, AGENCY, AND LANDOWNER PARTNERS TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION READINESS - INTEGRATION OF REACH-SCALE PRIORITIZATION TOOLS TO GUIDE PROJECT SEQUENCING - ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF WATERSHED-SCALE RESTORATION PLANNING FRAMEWORKS THESE ACTIVITIES POSITION PRIORITY RESTORATION PROJECTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND MEASURABLE ECOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENT, STRENGTHENING HABITAT COMPLEXITY, HYDROLOGIC FUNCTION, AND LONG-TERM WATERSHED RESILIENCE. LOOKING AHEAD THE BIG WOOD RIVER BASIN FACES INCREASING COMPLEXITY AS WATER SUPPLY VARIABILITY, INFRASTRUCTURE DEMANDS, AND ECOLOGICAL NEEDS INTERSECT. ADDRESSING THESE CHALLENGES REQUIRES ACCURATE DATA, COORDINATED RESTORATION PLANNING, AND COLLABORATIVE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. PROJECT BIG WOOD WILL CONTINUE EXPANDING ITS SCIENTIFIC DATASETS, ADVANCING PRIORITY RESTORATION PROJECTS, AND STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS TO SUPPORT INFORMED, ADAPTIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT. THESE EFFORTS POSITION THE ORGANIZATION TO CONTRIBUTE MEANINGFULLY TO LONG-TERM RIVER HEALTH AND BASIN-WIDE RESILIENCE.