Crooked River Watershed Council

THE CROOKED RIVER WATERSHED COUNCIL- WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OCHOCO IRRIGATION DISTRICT- WILL RESTORE HABITAT AND ENHANCE ECOLOGICAL FEATURES ON TWO PROJECT SITES JUST DOWNSTREAM FROM PRINEVILLE- OREGON. HYDROLOGY IN THE CROOKED RIVER WATERSHED IS IMPACTED BY UPSTREAM DAMS- INCLUDING RECLAMATIONS BOWMAN DAM- LEADING TO LOSS OF FLOODPLAIN CONTINUITY- DEGRADED CHANNEL STRUCTURES- AND WATER QUALITY IMPAIRMENTS- IMPACTING NATIVE SPRING CHINOOK SALMON AND COLUMBIA RIVER STEELHEAD POPULATIONS THAT INHABIT THE WATERSHED. TO ADDRESS THESE IMPAIRMENTS- THE COUNCIL WILL STRATEGICALLY PLACE APPROXIMATELY 130 LARGE WOOD STRUCTURES TO PROMOTE HABITAT COMPLEXITY- STABILIZE ERODING STREAMBANKS ON 3-285 LINEAR FEET OF STREAM CHANNEL- RESTORE APPROXIMATELY 19 ACRES OF FLOODPLAIN AND UPLAND HABITAT- IMPROVE 0.22 ACRES OF ALCOVE HABITAT- AND CREATE 0.42 ACRES OF WETLAND. THESE ACTIVITIES ARE PRIORITIZED IN THE LOWER CROOKED RIVER ACTION PLAN AND HAVE SUPPORT FROM MULTIPLE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES- PRIVATE LANDOWNERS- IRRIGATORS- AND CONSERVATION GROUPS.

RCPP 1808 - LOWER CROOKED RIVER STRATEGIC RESTORATION

CROOKED RIVER HORSE HEAVEN FISH PASSAGE

THIS PROJECT OCCURS IN CENTRAL OREGON IN THE BLUE MOUNTAIN ECO-REGION EXCLUSIVELY ON LANDS MANAGED BY THE U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT. THE AWARD PURPOSE IS TO ENSURE RANGELANDS MEET MULTIPLE USE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES. RANGELANDS NEED TO MEET OR MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING THE STANDARDS FOR LAND HEALTH AND CONFORM TO THE GUIDELINES FOR LIVESTOCK GRAZING MANAGEMENT. CURRENTLY HOOFS HAVE FLATTENED AND COMPRESSED THE STREAM BOTTOM INTO A SHALLOW TROUGH AND THE RIPARIAN-WETLAND VEGETATION APPEARS STUNTED IN HEIGHT AND EXTENT. ALTHOUGH ASPEN WAS PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE PERENNIAL REACHES, MOST WERE BROWSED AND STUNTED IN HEIGHT AND EXTENT. COLUMBIA SPOTTED FROGS (CSF) WERE NOT OBSERVED IN THE OPEN, COMPACTED AREAS WITH SHALLOW (APPROXIMATELY 1-2 INCHES) WATER. SPECIFICALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL HELP THE ALLOTMENT MEET THE STANDARDS FOR RIPARIAN-WETLAND AREA CONDITION AND WILDLIFE HABITAT BY IMPROVING COLUMBIA SPOTTED FROG HABITAT, A BUREAU SENSITIVE SPECIES. FALLING TREES WILL CREATE POOLS AND PROTECT STREAMBANKS FROM LIVESTOCK USE DURING CRITICAL PERIODS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE ADDING FEATURES TO MIMIC THE HABITAT WHERE CSF WERE OBSERVED IN SMALL POOLS (3-10 INCHES DEEP) CREATED BY DOWN WOOD AND TREE ROOTS. JUNIPER TREES IN THE RIPARIAN AREA WOULD BE CUT AND PLACED AS OBSTRUCTIONS TO DISCOURAGE REPETITIVE TRAILING (LIVESTOCK OR HORSES) ALONG THIS VALLEY BOTTOM. THESE WOODY STRUCTURES WOULD FOLLOW THE DESIGN PRINCIPLES FROM THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES OR OUTCOMES INCLUDE DOWN TREES WOULD PREVENT SOIL COMPACTION (BOTH IN THE STREAM BOTTOM AND ALONG THE ADJACENT HILLSLOPES), ALLOW ASPEN TO PROGRESS ABOVE BROWSE HEIGHT, AND PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHEAR POINTS (HEAD CUTS). THE WOODY STRUCTURES WOULD CREATE POOLS THAT MIMIC THE HABITAT WHERE CSF HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED IN SMALL SCOUR POOLS ASSOCIATED WITH WOODY STRUCTURE.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES.DUE TO BUDGETARY AND LABOR CONSTRAINTS, THE LWD AUGMENTATIONS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN A PHASED APPROACH OVER MULTIPLE YEARS, WITH DIFFERENT STREAMS REACHES AUGMENTED IN DIFFERENT YEARS. CERTAIN REACHES MAY ALSO NEED TO BE AUGMENTED INCREMENTALLY OVER TIME TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VEGETATION FOR SHADE AND RIPARIAN HABITAT WHILE CONIFER STOCKING RATES RECOVER BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL LWD TREATMENTS.

RESTORE FISH PASSAGE

THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED ONE MILE NORTH OF POST, OREGON, IN THE LOWER HORSE HEAVEN CREEK HUC 6 WATERSHED. THIS PROJECT CONSIDERS A 2.5-MILE STREAM REACH OF HORSE HEAVEN CREEK, SITUATED BELOW HORSE HEAVEN RESERVOIR TRAVELING DOWNSTREAM PAST THE HWY 380 ROAD CULVERT AND ULTIMATELY INTO THE MOUTH OF THE CROOKED RIVER. THIS STREAM REACH IS NEARLY VOID OF WOODY VEGETATION ALONG THE RIPARIAN CORRIDOR AND THE STREAM CHANNEL IS BECOMING DISCONNECTED FROM THE FLOODPLAIN. APPROXIMATELY 70 OF THE 2.5 MILES OF THIS STEAM REACH HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY GRAZED BY CATTLE, DRAMATICALLY DEPLETING NATIVE RIPARIAN VEGETATION THAT SUPPORTS BOTH FISH AND WILDLIFE, CAUSING UNNATURAL EROSION, AND UNATURALLY ACCELERATING STREAM FLOWS. FURTHER, WATER RELEASES FROM THE RESERVOIR HAVE BEEN TIMED WITH IRRIGATION NEEDS BETWEEN MAY AND SEPTEMBER, WITH THE STREAM SERVING LARGELY AS A WATER TRANSPORT MECHANISM TO FEED TWO POINTS OF DIVERSION (PODS). THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE TO REACTIVE THE FLOODPLAIN BY INSTALLING BEAVER DAM ANALOGUES (BDAS) IN AREAS THAT WILL SLOW THE WATER DOWN, COLLECT SEDIMENT AND PUSH THE WATER LATERALLY ONTO THE FLOODPLAINS.

CHANGE END DATE TO CLOSE AGREEMENT. MCKAY CREEK FISHWAY

MOD 1 CHANGES END DATE TO CLOSE THE AGREEMENT. MCKAY DAM REMOVAL

PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE