StreamBank Pilot Projects

The Freshwater Trust just completed a second pilot season that included 17 stream restoration projects on private land in 2008. Our local partners, who are the on-the-ground project leaders that coordinate project planning, implementation and monitoring, are comprised of Watershed Councils, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. By utilizing the efficiency gains built into the StreamBank web tool and its one-stop-shop approach, our partners were able to advance a project from start to finish in 70% less time otherwise required through traditional funding and permitting systems without sacrificing the quality of restoration outcomes.

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Lousignont Creek (Nehalem River)

Local Coordinator: Maggie Peyton, Upper Nehalem Watershed Council Project Type: This project will add large wood to Lousignont Creek and remove reed canary grass from its streambank. Goals: To improve coho and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat and educate local students and landowners about beneficial land management practices.

Holcomb Creek (Abernethy Creek)

Local Coordinator: Cindy Kolomechuk, Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District Project Type: This project will replace two steel tube culverts with a 20 foot span bridge and restore the streambed to fish-friendly conditions. Goals: To provide unrestricted passage to all life stages of native coho, steelhead, anadromous and resident cutthroat trout, pacific and brook lamprey and other aquatics and wildlife by restoring and improving access to 2.3 miles of stream.

Woods Creek (Marys River)

Local Coordinator: Karen Fleck-Harding, Marys River Watershed Council Project Type: This project will involve invasive weed removal and riparian planting along Woods Creek. Goals: To restore native riparian vegetation and function.

 

Blair Creek (Marys River)

Local Coordinator: Karen Fleck-Harding, Marys River Watershed Council Project Type: This project will remove a fish passage barrier along Blair Creek. Goals: To restore fish passage to upstream habitat areas.

 

Owens Creek (Long Tom River)

Local Coordinator: Cindy Thieman, Long Tom Watershed Council Project Type: This project will include riparian fencing to exclude cattle from the creek area, riparian planting, invasive weed removal, and the placement of 20 pieces of large wood into the creek. Goals: To improve water quality, riparian conditions, and instream habitat on Owens Creek.

Crooked Creek (Alsea River)

Local Coordinator: Donna Schmitz, Benton Soil and Water Conservation District Project Type: This project will include the placement of three engineered log jams and three large woody debris piles, as well as riparian plantings with native vegetation. Goals: To improve stream channel aquatic complexity, encourage substrate recruitment, increase low velocity habitats for winter rearing salmonid juveniles and control streambank erosion.

 

Bottom Creek (Coos River)

Local Coordinator: Jon Souder, Coos Watershed Council Project Type: This project will involve the placement of 20 large wood structures, in conjunction with a separately funded culvert removal project. Goals: To increase the area of suitable spawning gravel, increase the amount and extent of complex pools, and tie together up-and down-stream reaches above and below an area of braided channels.

 

Laycock Creek (John Day River)

Local Coordinator: Russ Powell, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Project Type: This project will design and install two new off-channel watering facilities and will also incorporate noxious weed removal and maintenance at each of the spring development sites. Goals: To develop two new watering points for livestock to improve grazing distribution / utilization over 1500 acres of land and reduce impacts to approximately two miles of adjacent riparian areas.

 

Upper South Fork (John River)

Local Coordinator: Jason Kehrberg, Grant County Soil and Water Conservation District Project Type: This project will include the installation of six new off-channel watering facilities and will also incorporate noxious weed removal and maintenance at each of the spring development sites for 3 years after construction activities are completed. Goals: To improve livestock grazing distribution and reduce riparian impacts within the management unit where the water facility is installed. The accumulative effect of the project will improve the grazing management over approximately 20,000 acres and reduce riparian impacts to approximately 25 miles of stream.

 

Little Butte Creek (Rogue River)

Local Coordinator: Tim Weaver, Little Butte Creek Watershed Council Project Type: This riparian improvement project will include the removal the invasive blackberry brush, replanting of the entire riparian zone with mixed conifer and native vegetation, installation of a four-strand cattle exclusion fence, and the construction of an off-channel water system for livestock. Goals: To benefit coastal coho and winter steelhead by reducing erosion into the creek, reducing bacteria laden irrigation water into the creek through improved vegetation filtering, increasing the shade cover along the riparian corridor, and enhancing local and state partnerships for mutual benefit.

 

Morton Creek & Butte Creek (New River)

Local Coordinator: Matt Swanson, South Coast Watershed Council Project Type: This project will redirect two miles of stream back into their historic channels according to historic aerial photos. Goals: To restore two miles of stream and 15 acres of adjacent floodplain, introduce 60 pieces of large wood, and plant 5,000 trees.

 

Sixes River

Local Coordinator: Harry Hoogesteger, South Coast Watershed Council Project Type: Riparian planting - bioswale Goals: To reduce nutrient input to the South Coast estuary system. Bioswales are designed to slow water and increase residence time before the water reaches the estuary. They will be planted with a mix of native wetlands plants that will uptake and sequester excess nutrients. According to the DEQ, bioswales can remove 83 to 92% of suspended solids; 39 - 89% of Nitrates; and 29 - 80% of Total Phosphorous.

 

Hunter Creek

Local Coordinator: Harry Hoogesteger, South Coast Watershed Council Project Type: Riparian planting - bioswale Goals: To reduce nutrient input to the South Coast estuary system. Bioswales are designed to slow water and increase residence time before the water reaches the estuary. They will be planted with a mix of native wetlands plants that will uptake and sequester excess nutrients. According to the DEQ, bioswales can remove 83 to 92% of suspended solids; 39 - 89% of Nitrates; and 29 - 80% of Total Phosphorous.

Winchuck RIver

Local Coordinator: Harry Hoogesteger, South Coast Watershed Council Project Type: Riparian planting - bioswale Goals: To reduce nutrient input to the South Coast estuary system. Bioswales are designed to slow water and increase residence time before the water reaches the estuary. They will be planted with a mix of native wetlands plants that will uptake and sequester excess nutrients. According to the DEQ, bioswales can remove 83 to 92% of suspended solids; 39 - 89% of Nitrates; and 29 - 80% of Total Phosphorous.

 

Shoal's Creek (Winchuck River)

Local Coordinator: Beth Pietrzak, South Coast Watershed Council Project Type: This project will remove a crushed wooden culvert that is a complete fish passage barrier and replace it with a sea container bridge crossing. Livestock exclusion fencing and riparian plantings will also be included at the project site. Goals: To restore connectivity of a wetland area to a small stream and estuary, restore off-channel rearing habitat for juvenile salmonids, and reduce agricultural non-point source sediment pollution to the estuary.