| Oregon Plan Stories |
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| Deschutes Basin |
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Farewell Bend Park Habitat Restoration
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Riparian planting completed by teams of community volunteers (photo by Upper Deschutes Watershed Council)
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Farewell Bend Park in September of 2006 (photo by OWEB). |
Farewell Bend Park is located in Bend along the Deschutes River, near the base of the Bill Healy Memorial Bridge. It is a popular launching location for float trips on the river and features a canoe launch and natural marsh areas. While having a landscaped park near natural areas provides excellent learning opportunities for park visitors to learn about nature, it is important for the park to maintain balance of those landscaped areas with the natural wetland and riparian zones.
A partnership was developed between the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, Bend Metro Parks and Recreation District, Deschutes River Conservancy, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Deschutes Mitigation and Enhancement Fund. The goal was to restore 2,500 feet of Deschutes River frontage at Farewell Bend Park.
In the spring of 2004, the project was implemented. Work included three acres of native riparian planting and instream wetland restoration. More than 1,300 native riparian plants were planted. Most of the planting was completed by teams of community volunteers of all ages.
The project is improving water quality, increasing fish and wildlife habitat, and providing a long-term educational opportunity for the users of the park. The project has been successful and it represents an outstanding example of how the community can develop property along the river that balances both landscaped park areas and natural wetland and riparian areas. This combination helps meet the recreational needs of the community while enhancing the integrity of the Deschutes River.
Marks Creek Riparian Restoration Project
| Photos provided by the Crooked River Watershed Council |
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View of Marks Creek restoration site.
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Constructing new channel meanders.
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Berms, channelization and over-widened channel - before project implementation.
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Massive re-alignment including reducing the grade of photo location by nearly 8 feet. Channel now meanders into meadow at right.
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Marks Creek is situated along the western flank of the Ochoco Mountains and is characterized by a series of wet meadows as it moves downstream from the forested mountains to the valleys below. Livestock grazing and timber harvest operations in the early part of the 20th century had impacted stream conditions throughout Marks Creek. In the project area this resulted in the loss of most of the riparian (stream-side) tree and shrub vegetation, which in turn resulted in unstable channel conditions characterized by bank erosion, channel incision, and a wide and shallow streambed. The stream was also channelized following the 1964 flood, resulting in higher stream velocities that further exacerbated the problem. A diversion dam on the creek that blocked fish passage and separated local populations at all but the highest of flow conditions was also a threat to native redband trout populations.
The project featured multiple components designed to address the root causes of the issues impacting the creek. Overall, the project’s approach was to allow for passive restoration through livestock management complemented with active restoration in areas where channel conditions were severely limited. Activities included new channel construction, restoration of historic floodplain capacity, construction of instream habitat structures, installation of a fish passage structure and a fish screen, and extensive riparian planting and fencing throughout the 1.5 mile project area.
The project involved four private landowners with funding secured from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and the Deschutes River Conservancy. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife provided technical and cost-share assistance with fish screening. Volunteer crews with the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council assisted with riparian fencing and planting labor.
The results following project completion have been excellent. New channel construction and floodplain enhancements have lengthened the stream channel and have helped to reduce velocities during flood events in 2005 and 2006. Fish habitat has already improved through pool formation following structure installation, and fish are already moving up a rock-step pool that replaced an eight foot high barrier to fish movement and opened up 15 miles of habitat to native redband trout. Riparian fencing has excluded livestock from the creek while allowing for access through several water gaps. Over 20,000 trees were planted, most grown from native stock collected in the surrounding area, and are thriving. More importantly, the landowners involved are proud of what has been accomplished.
Newcomb Draw Range Management
The Newcomb Draw was managed as part of a 1,080 acre pasture that included one mile of stream. The ranch owner moved cattle through each of the pastures quickly (approximately two to three weeks per pasture) depending on forage growth. Because there was no water source other than the creek, the cattle congregated in the 40 acres of riparian area and did not use the uplands.
The project proposed to build a fence to split the pasture into two sections, each approximately 540 acres in size, with the result to be the even utilization of forage through the unit. Each pasture would still have access to the creek for water, but the area of access would be small enough that the cattle would not be able to congregate. The project was awarded an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Small Grant and was completed in March of 2004.
After two years, the fence is in good shape and the range in both pastures looks good with high bunch grass. The landowners have continued to implement range improvements in the Bakeoven Watershed. The upward trend in range conditions is due to the careful rotation of cattle through many pastures, which is a larger effort on the entire ranch.
Tumalo Creek Restoration
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Whole trees are used to create log jams and structures (photo by Upper Deschutes Watershed Council)
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Tumalo Creek in September of 2006 (photo by OWEB)
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The upper reach of Tumalo Creek, ten miles west of Bend, was consumed by severe wildfire in 1979. The fire, combined with subsequent salvage logging, left three miles of the creek without instream woody material or riparian vegetation, which greatly decreased channel complexity. Over the last 20 years, the stream system has been unraveling, with widespread erosion of the stream channel leading to loss of wetlands and fish and wildlife habitat.
The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council partnered with the Deschutes National Forest, Summit High School, National Forest Foundation, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, City of Bend, Deschutes Mitigation and Enhancement Fund, and other local groups. Channel reconstruction work was done in the summers of 2004 and 2005. In the fall of both years, the focus shifted to large wood placement and riparian plantings. In 2004 and 2005, approximately 1,600 trees were placed instream and 40,000 riparian plants were established.
This project is the largest stream restoration effort in the region and continued throughout 2006. When completed, the riparian plants and the log jams resulting from large wood, will restore stream stability and improve fish habitat.
Additional Information
The 2005-2007 Biennial Report provides more information about accomplishments in each watershed basin.
Return to watershed basin map
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