Grantee
McKenzie Watershed Alliance
Challenge
Beginning in the late 1800s, logging along the river and efforts to “clean-out” the stream made the channel more narrow and simplified. After the 1964 flood, berms were constructed to keep the stream in a single thread, disconnecting it from the natural floodplain.
Project Overview
Restore in-stream and floodplain habitat for Mckenzie River Redsides, Spring Chinook Salmon, and Bull Trout.
Applying a new, innovative technique called Stage 0 Restoration, McKenzie Watershed Alliance worked with the U.S. Forest Service to restore 1.2 miles of stream and 35 acres of floodplain in a channelized section of Deer Creek. Monitoring results are encouraging: the project increased large woody debris and habitat complexity, improving habitat for Mckenzie River Redsides, Spring Chinook Salmon, and Bull Trout. In 2017, biologists observed spring Chinook salmon spawning in Deer Creek - the first documented spawning since 1993.
To learn more please visit:
For more information, please search OWEB's Grant Management System (OGMS) for Project Number 218-7000-16503.
Contact
Please direct questions or comments to
Audrey Hatch, Conservation Outcomes Coordinator, 971-345-7002.