| 2006 Oregonians Working for Healthy Watersheds |
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North Coast
Southern Oregon
Upper and Mid-Willamette
Portland Metro Area
Central Oregon
Eastern Oregon
| Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds award winners worked to improve watershed health in communities across the state. |
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On behalf of all Oregonians, we are honoring citizens, landowners, conservation groups and governments for their grassroots efforts to preserve and protect our natural resources for the future of all Oregonians. Through their stewardship, these individuals and groups have supported the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds’ vision of a sustainable and profitable Oregon.
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| North Coast |
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Mike and Melinda Grauwen have implemented many best management practices at the Onion Peak Dairy, including installing a million gallon manure storage tank, restoring and protecting the riparian zone, and implementing new irrigation methods.
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Mike and Melinda Grauwen, Onion Peak Dairy Inc. - Nehalem, OR
Implementing best management practices that enhance water quality
Located on the Nehalem River, the pasture-based Onion Peak Dairy has been operating in Tillamook County for the past 11 years. Mike and Melinda Grauwen have demonstrated their environmental stewardship by implementing many best management practices that enhance water quality. For example, the construction of a million-gallon manure tank allows them to time manure applications closely to crop needs. They have also adopted a new manure application method that reduces odor and conserves nitrogen during application. In addition, the Grauwens have installed fences and established riparian areas along the river and creek that surround the dairy, and introduced a new irrigation method that delivers water more efficiently to the growing crops.
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| Southern Oregon |
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As an active participant in conservation and federal clean water programs, Bob Crouse of the Fort Vannoy Dairy helps keep the Rogue Valley pristine.
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Bob Crouse, Fort Vannoy Dairy - Grants Pass, OR
Carrying on the family tradition of environmental stewardship
Located in the Rogue Valley, the Fort Vannoy Dairy employs many diverse operating practices to protect and promote the community and the environment. By double-cropping fields and installing large riparian buffers to curb erosion, Bob Crouse continues to carry on the family tradition of environmental stewardship. The dairy has been using new application methods and timing to limit urban/agricultural conflict and promote understanding between city and country. The dairy is also active in conservation, as both a long-time participant in federal conservation programs and a recognized Watershed Friendly Steward under the southwest Oregon Resource Conservation & Development program.
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Robert Gilkey of Lakecreek nurtured 15 acres of woodlands and the adjacent South Fork Little Butte Creek.
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Robert Gilkey in memoriam - Lakecreek, OR
Supporting a long-term study of watershed recovery processes
Bob Gilkey owned 15 acres of woodlands along South Fork Little Butte Creek. Several species of salmon and trout live in the stream, including Coho and fall Chinook salmon, summer and winter steelhead, and rainbow and cutthroat trout. A variety of wildlife species used the woodlands on the property where Bob lived until he passed away in early 2005.
As part of his management of the property, Bob conducted fuels reduction treatments, grazed livestock, constructed riparian fences, and planted trees in the riparian zone. He joined the Little Butte Watershed Council in 1995 and was a member for eight years and president for three. Following the January 1, 1997 flood, Bob worked with several public agencies, Southern Oregon University, and private landowners to set up a long-term study and research program, called the Hydro Plus Project, to monitor the watershed’s recovery.
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By placing a conservation easement on his property, Gilkey ensured that schools and agencies could study watershed recovery and processes.
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Bob’s skill in coordinating watershed council activities with those of agencies and private landowners helped ensure the study’s viability. He placed a conservation easement on his own property to ensure that schools and agencies could continue studying watershed recovery and processes. In practice, he made his entire property – including his house and wood shop – available to organizations involved in the stream research occurring in the watershed. Although he retired from the watershed council in 2003, his belief in the mission of the Oregon Plan kept him very much involved.
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Stephen Hobbs, Board of Forestry Chair, congratulates Bob Wampler, as (l-r) Jake Wampler, Josh Wampler, Mike Wampler, Scott Wampler, Joe Wampler, and Jim Dahm look on.
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Paul & Robert Wampler Logging - Klamath Falls, OR
Protecting water quality in a small stream near Swan Lake
To improve a forest stand near Swan Lake, Wampler Logging needed to remove diseased trees and those with poor form and growth. The operation was a partial-cut harvest using ground equipment. A small perennial non-fish bearing stream ran through a steep V-shaped canyon within the harvest area, so the crew used several precautionary measures to protect it. Although the unit had been harvested in the 1950s by skidding the logs down the stream channel, Wampler Logging instead used two temporary stream crossings. Also the skid trail was placed higher upslope of the stream channel to protect water quality and the integrity of the stream bed, banks, and vegetation.
After skidding was finished, the operator and his crew placed logs and woody debris along the length of the skid trail to reduce sedimentation and prevent it from being used for other purposes, such as ATV recreational use. Although it wasn’t required for a non-fish bearing stream, Wampler Logging also left many large trees near the stream channel and slopes to provide shade for the stream, and downed wood was left in the stream to improve aquatic habitat.
Besides being conscientious about stream protection, the operator also left several snags (dead trees) for wildlife habitat and large trees to promote sustained tree regeneration. It’s easy to see why Wampler Logging is known for their high degree of reliability in consistently exceeding Oregon’s Forest Practice rules.
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| Upper and Mid-Willamette |
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Stephen Hobbs, Board of Forestry Chair, congratulates Phil Davidson, president of Davidson Industries,
as (l-r) John Buss, forester,
Gunnar Schlieder, private consultant with Geoscience Inc., and
Greg Walton, equipment operator for Davidson, look on.
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Davidson Industries - Mapleton, OR
Constructing an innovative landslide diversion berm
Davidson Industries planned to harvest 44 acres upslope of a home built on an old debris fan from a landslide that occurred years ago. To prevent potential damage to the dwelling, they designed a berm to deflect future slides. The design included an overflow channel, so that if a slide occurred and the rock culvert became plugged, debris and water would divert away from the house.
Much time and many resources were used to carefully place several large boulders in the berm to strengthen it. The process was an expensive one, because it took heavy equipment to construct it to the engineer’s specifications. Furthermore, Davidson Industries had no way of knowing if the end result would gain the approval of the Oregon Department of Forestry geotechnical staff.
While work was under way, the operator consulted closely with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to make sure the fabrication of the rock culvert was fish-friendly. The berm’s construction helped retain the productivity of a reach of fish bearing stream. This diligence in working closely with both agencies during harvesting operations and managing lands in accordance with the Forest Practices Act has earned Davidson Industries a reputation as a leader in quality harvesting operations in the Siuslaw River Basin.
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Chuck Volz of Weyerhaueser developed a new and less costly fish passage design for use in steep gradient streams.
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Chuck Volz, Weyerhaeuser Company - Springfield, OR
Developing an innovative approach to fish passage at road crossings on steeper-gradient streams
ODFW/ODF guidelines for providing fish passage under road crossings on streams with a gradient steeper than 8 percent call for installing a bridge or open-bottom arch culvert. That’s fine for the fish, but costly for the company putting the passages in. Chuck Volz, an engineer at Weyerhaeuser Company, decided to find an alternative. Weyerhaeuser lands in the Springfield area contain many steep-gradient streams with road crossings in habitat occupied primarily by cutthroat trout. With limited road maintenance and construction budgets, voluntary replacement in these situations is rare.
After researching fish passage design alternatives, Chuck approached the departments of Forestry and Fish and Wildlife in 1999 with a proposal to weld a ladder-type structure inside an arch culvert on a stream with an 11 percent gradient. Chuck proposed to seed boulders and larger rocks between the rungs of the structure. If Chuck’s hypothesis was correct – that winter flows would bring in finer bedload material to fill the spaces between the rocks – he could create the desired streambed conditions.
Happily Chuck’s plan worked. To date, 18 of these structures are successfully passing the smallest of juvenile cutthroat trout to an additional five miles of habitat. Chuck’s innovative design allowed Weyerhaeuser to apply limited financial resources to address more than double the number of stream crossings than if the company had installed bridges. In addition, Weyerhaeuser Company Springfield Operations set a goal to address all non-natural fish barriers in their ownership by 2012.
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Travis Johnson, Curt Johnson II, Curt Johnson, Steve Norris, and Carson Parker accept the Operator of the Year Award for Tower Timber Services.
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Tower Timber Services - Cottage Grove, OR
Conducting a complex 90-acre timber harvesting operation in a unit overlooking a stretch of Interstate 5
Tower Timber services wanted to log 90 acres in sight of Interstate 5 that included both a high landslide hazard location (which was left untouched) and a scenic highway corridor. From the start, Tower Timber communicated closely with the Oregon Departments of Transportation and Forestry, and an engineering geologist to prevent a possible landslide during the operation and ensure that the operation was as unobtrusive to the motoring public as possible. The scenic highway corridor was protected, and the operator and his crew went above the requirements of the harvesting plan and left additional trees in the buffer/landslide areas. This, of course, made falling and yarding around them more difficult, and extra care had to be taken to prevent logs from rolling downslope and impacting the scenic corridor, I-5, and the high landslide hazard area.
A swing yarder was used to help guide trees away from “leave tree” areas, and “lift” trees were used to gain additional lift on steep slopes to prevent damage to remaining trees. In addition, whole tree yarding was performed to keep the slopes free of excess slash (harvesting debris). The operator also took extra time to remove slash from slopes to landing areas, thereby reducing potential fire hazard and improving the site for reforestation.
Tower Timber Services has a reputation for not only using the proper equipment to maintain harvest productivity, but for protecting natural resources as well. Being proactive and talking with agencies about their operations beforehand and consistently exceeding Best Management Practices and Forest Practices Act rules and regulations puts them on the list of top-notch timber operators in Oregon.
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Bob Kintigh and his wife, Margaret, take pride in improving their property near Springfield.
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Bob Kintigh frequently gives educational tours of his tree farm.
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Bob Kintigh, former Oregon Senator - Springfield, OR
Turning an unproductive “stump ranch” into a productive piece of land
Bob Kintigh planted his first trees at the age of 10, earned a Master of Forestry degree, worked all his life on national and private forests, and is now passionately spreading the “forestry bug” on to others. He manages the timber owned by Kintigh Family Limited Partnership east of Springfield and south of Cottage Grove.
To transform an unproductive “stump ranch,” purchased in 1957, into a productive piece of ground that now produces 50 loads of logs annually, fine Christmas trees, and high-quality seedlings took years of work. But what Bob is most proud of is that he and his family have left that ground far better than when they acquired it. While doing periodic timber harvests on his land, Kintigh is genuinely concerned about how his management practices are affecting the environment and wildlife habitat. He goes the extra mile to protect soil fertility and control erosion, maintain roads on his property, and control aggressive non-native species. In addition, Bob reserves habitat for the herons, Canadian geese, wild ducks, deer, elk, quail, swallows, and other wildlife that browse for food in clearcuts and Oak Savannah on his land and visit the ponds he’s constructed.
Bob figures he has probably harvested enough timber from his property to build approximately 500 average-size homes as well. Today, he also coordinates educational forestry tours on his ranch for professionals, school and civic groups and foreigners, and writes about natural resource issues.
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| Portland Metro Area |
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Bryce Purtzer and Shane Stutzman
(l-r) of Stutzman Farms are helping the environment by turning thousands of tons of poultry manure into a highly sought-after fertilizer.
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Stutzman Family, Stutzman Farms - Canby, OR
Turning a potential pollutant into a valuable, useable commodity
For more than 30 years, family-owned and -operated Stutzman Farms has been converting thousands of tons of raw chicken manure into highly sought-after organic fertilizer. Stutzman Farms serves as a clearinghouse where local poultry producers can export thousands of tons of manure, alleviating the need to apply the waste product to fields or store it for long periods of time. The 100% natural organic fertilizer is formulated into a uniform pellet or granule with a broad spectrum of nutrients for slow absorption by plants. This process not only sustains the environment but also the local economy: The fertilizer operation employs 15 full-time staff members. Turning waste into want has also helped improve water quality in the Canby area.
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Yule Tree Farms showcase their stewardship efforts and help
others in the Christmas tree industry protect the environment.
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Yule Tree Farms - Aurora, OR
Implementing creative erosion control techniques on tree farms
Operating in Sheridan, Canby and Turner, Yule Tree Farms protects water quality by implementing creative erosion control techniques. Erosion control remains a challenging issue for Christmas tree growers in the Willamette Valley. Many fields are steep, with highly erodible soils, and trees are planted close together, making it difficult to mow or otherwise manage a cover crop. Resulting erosion can harm water quality, reduce soil quality, and even cause roadside hazards or flooding problems for neighbors. By employing strategies such as protecting sensitive areas, using filter strips, keeping sediment out of waterways, and installing field borders, Yule Tree Farms has overcome many erosion problems. In addition, the operators recognize how implementing erosion control practices improves the public opinion of the Christmas tree industry. They showcase environmental stewardship efforts and assist others in the industry in adopting sound practices and enhancing growers’ image as environmental stewards.
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The Daugherty family operates the
59-acre Sleepy Hollow Tree Farm along Bargfeld Creek, a tributary to Clear Creek in the lower Clackamas River watershed.
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Roger and Anne Daugherty, Sleepy Hollow Tree Farm - Oregon City, OR
Improving fish passage, enhancing riparian and wetland areas, and conducting outreach to the community
Roger and Anne Daugherty operate the Sleepy Hollow Tree Farm near Oregon City. The Daughertys’ stewardship activities include fish passage improvement projects, riparian and wetland enhancement, outreach, and restoration projects on a number of other properties in the surrounding area.
The Daughertys actively manage their timberland primarily by thinning to maintain health and vigor. They set aside large riparian buffers around streams and wetlands to minimize the effects of roads on water quality. In addition, they enlisted the help of AmeriCorps volunteers to plant native vegetation along Bargfeld Creek and its associated eight-acre wetland.
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The Daughertys pursue a wide
range of stewardship activities to improve the environment on their farm and beyond.
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Roger and Anne replaced two culverts that blocked fish passage to more than three miles of habitat for Coho salmon, winter steelhead, cutthroat trout, and Pacific Lamprey. They replaced one barrier with a full-spanning railcar bridge and another with a large, embedded culvert. Roger acted as the main contractor on these projects, donating equipment and nearly two weeks of his time, as well as coordination, materials, and labor from other family members at a total investment of well over $20,000. The Daughertys also work with other forest landowners on restoration projects, and employ and encourage best management practices.
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Oregon Water Trust staff members work with landowners to close Woods-Boatman Diversion in the Lostine River Basin.
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Fritz Paulus, Oregon Water Trust - Portland, OR
Pioneering flow restoration practices in Oregon streams and rivers
The Oregon Water Trust is being recognized for their leadership in streamflow restoration. Established in 1993, the Trust is the country’s first private, non-profit organization dedicated to restoring depleted streamflows. The Trust has pioneered many of the state’s flow restoration tools, including permanent instream transfers, short-term instream leases, allocations of conserved water, acquiring stored water contracts to enhance flows, moving point of diversions downstream for instream benefits, and voluntary water right diminishment or cancellation to leave water instream during critical periods. In 2005, the Trust worked with over 200 landowners on 96 projects restoring 150 cubic feet per second of streamflow in nine different river basins in the state. The result: more water for healthy watersheds in Oregon.
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| Central Oregon |
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Patrick Griffiths, City of Bend Water Resource Coordinator, provides strong leadership and works extensively to develop and promote collaborative efforts for energy conservation in the City and Deschutes River basin.
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Mike Miller, City of Bend Assistant Public Works Director, managed the many details of implementation and budgeting for energy and water conservation projects.
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The Pilot Butte high-efficiency turbine pumps and other improvements to the well system will save the City of Bend an estimated 745,000 kilowatt hours and $1.5 million in energy costs over 20 years
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Patrick Griffiths and Mike Miller, City of Bend Public Works Department
Demonstrating exceptional vision and initiative in promoting energy efficiency and water conservation in the city’s operations and Deschutes River basin
To promote energy and water conservation, Patrick Griffiths, Water Resources Coordinator, and Mike Miller, Assistant Public Works Director, have used incentives and developed partnerships with the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE), Energy Trust of Oregon, Oregon Sustainability Board, and other local, state, and federal agencies. For example, the City recently received assistance from Energy Trust and its contractor, BacGen Technologies, to install high-efficiency turbine pumps and other improvements in its well system.
Working with ODOE, Patrick served as the lead for Deschutes County’s Saving Water and Energy Education Program (SWEEP). This program explored sustainable practices for Bend and developed community-wide education campaigns to promote energy and water conservation, improvements in irrigation systems and practices, purchases of energy- and water-efficient equipment and appliances, and improvements in operation and maintenance practices in schools, local government, and business facilities.
This work led to the Resource Efficiency and Development in Irrigation program and resulted in irrigation improvements that save both water and energy. These efforts helped build the foundation for Bend’s WaterWise Program, which focuses on indoor and outdoor water conservation.
Partnerships developed on a broader watershed scale prompted formation of the Deschutes Water Alliance and support for the local Watershed Council.
The Alliance uses federal grants to fund water management and energy production and savings throughout the basin. These accomplishments tie in with the City of Bend’s sustainability plan, demonstrate the interconnectedness of all City operations, and promote the search for additional efficiencies. By promoting multi-stakeholder approaches and leveraging resources, Patrick and Mike have helped the fast-growing basin meet current and future demands for energy and water.
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| Eastern Oregon |
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Students from Whitman College help with plantings along the restored section of the Wallowa River.
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Wallowa River/McDaniel Habitat Restoration Project - Lostine, OR
Restoring a half-mile, channelized reach of the Wallowa River and reestablishing native vegetation in the adjacent area
Property owner Doug McDaniel, working with a wide variety of public agencies and organizations, began work in 1998 to restore a half-mile, channelized reach of the Wallowa River and re-establish native vegetation in the area. The primary goals of the project, which was completed in August 2005, were to restore degraded riparian and floodplain habitat, improve in-stream habitat diversity, and improve water quality for adult and juvenile summer steelhead and spring Chinook salmon. Specific elements included channel reconstruction; collecting, propagating, and establishing native plant materials on a total of 30.8 acres of adjacent land and along the channel banks; fence construction and conservation easement; and weed monitoring and control.
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Early in the Wallowa River/McDaniel Restoration project, work proceeded behind the original channel, shown in the foreground (left). At project completion, a view shows the restored river meander and replanted native vegetation (right). |
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The project team included representatives from Wallowa Resources, the Grande Ronde Model Watershed, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Major funding was provided by the Bonneville Power Administration and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. In addition to the natural resource benefits of the project, owner McDaniel is convinced the project increases the market value of his property.
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A single main pipeline reduced diversion and increased streamflow during critical flow periods.
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Fish-friendly rock weirs allow year-round fish movement through the entire reach of the Powder River.
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Doni Clair, Baker Valley Soil and Water Conservation District
Jim Colton, Baker Valley Irrigation District - Baker City, OR
Enhancing water quality along nine miles of the Powder River
Doni Clair and Jim Colton spearheaded a number of water quality enhancements in the Powder River. The installation of an additional 12 miles of mainline pipe to consolidate the diversion of stockwater from six ditches into one pipeline increased streamflow during a critical time of the year.
Dams at each of the six diversions were replaced by fish-friendly rock weirs, allowing year-round fish movement through the entire reach. The project improved water quality by removing cattle from the stream corridor and restoring riparian zone vegetation, and extended fish passage year-round through nine miles of the Powder River.
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