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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING PARADISE CREEK WATERSHED RESTORATION PROJECT Between the I. PURPOSE Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute and City Of Moscow, Idaho August 2000 The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to memorialize the involvement of City of Moscow (the City) and the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI) in the Paradise Creek TMDL Implementation Project. (Grant No. QC056200), (the Project) administered by the Latah Soil and Water Conservation District (the District) and funded by the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality (IDEO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Preliminary funding for the construction of the Project has been secured by the Paradise Creek Watershed Advisory Committee from IDEO and the EPA through Clean Water Act Section 319 funds. This MOU establishes a mechanism for the use of TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($200,000) of money collected for the wastewater treatment plant upgrade of the City to be used for survey and excavation along Paradise Creek, and provides a formal basis for future cooperation between the participating organizations and agencies. II. PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The goal of this private I public cooperative Project is to improve the water quality of the Paradise Creek Watershed. The objectives of this Project include: To reduce the amount of sediment entering Paradise Creek from urban runoff and to alleviate severe erosion occurring along the streambanks, the urbanized riparian floodplain and associated wetlands along Paradise Creek within the City will be re-vegetated with native woody plants and emergent herbaceous wetland plants, respectively. Replacement of invasive non-native plant species with wetland plants in selected urban areas that are frequently inundated with water from storm events will more effectively filter sediments and pollutants from water before it reaches Paradise Creek. Severely eroding streambanks will be stabilized using bioengineering techniques. This Project will build on streambank projects located along railroad, university, and local government property and will cover areas within the City of Moscow. The City will make available TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($200,000) the City has collected for the City's wastewater treatment plant upgrade to the PCEI for the purpose of covering the cost of survey and excavation work along Paradise Creek as needed to complete the above mentioned Contract No. QC056200. This TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($200,000) from the City comes from non-federal sources, and shall be considered to be the City's portion for match for the grant awarded to the District and subcontracted to PCEI. PCEI shall direct, control and approve all work performed pursuant to Contract No. QC056200. PARADISE CREEK WATERSHED RESTORATION PROJECT Page 1 of 3 2Q00-48 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ill. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Riparian areas along Paradise Creek on properties owned by private landowners, the City, the University of Idaho, and/or the Palouse River Railroad will be re-vegetated with native woody and herbaceous vegetation. Unstable eroded streambanks exist along most of these reaches and will be stabilized with various "bioengineering" techniques. Coir logs pre-planted with herbaceous emergent wetlands vegetation will be installed along those reaches with existing invasive aquatic growths. Landowners wishing to have this work conducted will be solicited. PCEI will be responsible for coordinating all stream restoration activities and obtaining all necessary permits. As its part in the Project, the City will be responsible only for paying invoices from PCEI for survey work and excavation up to, but not exceeding TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($200,000) for the life of Contract No. QC056200. Invoices may be submitted to the City no more than Before payment of such invoices is made by the City, Moscow City Engineer shall verify that the work upon which the invoices are based has been completed according to Contract No. QC056200. IV. PROJECT BENEFITS: By planting the urbanized riparian and agricultural floodplain and associated wetlands along Paradise Creek with native woody vegetation and emergent herbaceous wetlands plants, stream temperatures will be reduced, dissolved oxygen concentrations will increase, and algae and macrophyte growth will be reduced due to nutrient uptake by the vegetation. Unstable streambanks will be stabilized directly and indirectly through vegetative plantings. Severely eroded vertical streambanks will be stabilized with various "bioengineering" techniques that will not only reduce in-stream erosion potential, but will also improve aquatic habitat. All riparian vegetative plantings will increase in-stream and out of stream habitat diversity as well as reduce overland flow of pollutants. Excavation along the streambanks will help to stabilize eroding riparian areas, and will increase the local hydraulic capacity of Paradise Creek. The functional values of the floodplains will be increased along portions of the stream. V. PROJECT MAINTENANCE After construction, light maintenance will be conducted by PCEI and its volunteers. Landowners will be responsible for maintenance on their own land. VI. GENERAL PROVISIONS A. Conflict of Agreements This MOU does not conflict with the Contract No. QC056200 between the IDEO and the District. Instead, this MOU is meant to enhance Contract No. QC056200 by providing match for the "Urban Restoration" portion of the Project. PARADISE CREEK WATERSHED RESTORATION PROJECT Page 2 of 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- B. Terms of this MOU This MOU will remain in effect until amended or cancelled at the request of the signatories. C. Amendments Either of the signatory parties may propose changes to this MOU. Proposed changes will be in the form of an amendment and will not take effect until all signatory parties have agreed to and signed the amendment. D. Cancellation This MOU may be cancelled at any time upon agreement by all signatory parties. Any party may withdraw from the MOU by giving the other party a thirty (30) day prior written notice. Approved by: Thomas C. Lamar, Executive Director Palouse-Clearwater Environmental lnsti• STATE OF IDAHO PARADISE CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT ACKNOWLEDGMENT ) ) ss. Date Page 3 of 3