The Wallowa Valley Improvement Canal (WVIC) is a water irrigation canal located within the Imnaha River subbasin. First constructed in the 1880s to divert water into the Wallowa Valley, the canal spans various creeks within the Imnaha subbasin.  It originates in the headwaters of Big Sheep Creek, crosses over to Little Sheep Creek (at portions sharing the same alignment as Little Sheep), and also captures all of McCully Creek and various other small tributaries (Salt, Redmont, Ferguson, and Canal Creeks).

Associated with this canal are three major points of diversion at Big Sheep, Little Sheep, and McCully Creeks, none of which are screened. Bull trout have been documented throughout this canal (Hudson et al. 2017) and summer steelhead distribution within Big and Little Sheep extends only up until the points of diversion. Both of those diversions are identified as full passage barriers by ODFW for bull trout and steelhead and classified as priority barriers.

Additionally, due to the topography and length of this canal, significant water losses are experienced throughout. In coordination with the Wallowa Valley Irrigation District and in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wallowa Resources will evaluate various methods of improving irrigation efficiency to create a water savings within the Big and Little Sheep watersheds while preserving the water rights of the irrigators.

There are two primary objectives that we aim to accomplish with this technical assistance:

1.) Develop designs for the fish passage barriers at the major points of diversion, as well as identify solutions for addressing passage at the smaller captured tributaries, and 2.) Assess irrigation needs and provide alternatives to improve efficiency to create water savings within bull trout occupied critical habitat.  

Project partners and stakeholders and funding sources and cost share:

Funding Partners - OWEB, USFWS Fish Passage, GRMW/BPA, NPT Fisheries Dept, US Wallowa Witman Forest, ODFW, Wallowa Valley Improvement District and Water Resources.

Land ownership (federal, state, private, tribal, or private) or special land designations (such as: National Park, National Wildlife Refuge, Scenic Area) - None of these apply.  NEED more info since some of this is on forest lands