Juniper Riprap in the Burnt River
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| Conditions before project |
Juniper “riprap” in the Burnt River |
(photos by Burnt River Soil and Water Conservation District)
This project addressed streambank erosion, which is a high priority natural resource concern in the Burnt River Watershed. The Burnt River passes through very productive, irrigated pasture and haylands. These lands are critical to the ranches in the valley, providing forage supplies for four to five months of winter feed for cattle. The river corridor and riparian areas are reasonably well protected, with the river having satisfactory levels of riparian vegetation and outstanding connectivity to its floodplain. However, some key streambank areas were unstable and were prioritized for streambank stabilization. The monitoring of previous projects showed a 99 percent success rate with juniper retention in the bank and a visual increase in bank re-vegetation with willows and other riparian vegetation re-occupying the site.
Junipers were placed on the outside banks of these areas, starting on the downstream end and each overlapping halfway. Individual junipers with the butt end on the bank were tied to a standard steel fence post (sunk out of sight) and wrapped with 5/16-inch cable. Each juniper occupied between four to 10 feet of the bank. Willows (Booth and coyote) and red-osier dogwood have come in naturally in between the junipers. The junipers were anchored with the fence posts, but experience has shown that after junipers have been in place for a few months, sediment collects and anchors the trees even further.
The project was the result of a partnership that included the Burnt River Soil and Water Conservation District, Burnt River Irrigation District, five landowners, Oregon State University, and Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The Juniper Riprap Project has been successful. The project reduced streambank erosion, settled sediments in the water, and created micro-sites for establishment of riparian woody vegetation. The project provided incremental improvements in aquatic habitat by reducing the amount of sediment that is delivered to Burnt River and providing cover for aquatic species.
Monument Fire Restoration Project
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Headwalls after re-seeding and contour falling.
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| Headwalls after fire. |
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Riparian areas after revegetation.
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| Riparian conditions after fire. |
(Photos by Burnt River Soil and Water Conservation District) |
In July and August of 2002, the Monument Fire burned approximately 24,300 acres, including approximately 4,100 acres on the Wallowa-Whitman National forest. The project was implemented on private property surrounded by national forest lands within the West Camp Creek Watershed. This private property comprised 20 percent of the burned acreage in the West Camp Creek sub-watershed.
The south and north forks of West Camp Creek, a tributary of the Burnt River, flow through the property. Red band trout, listed as a sensitive species, have been identified in these streams, which they use as spawning and rearing habitat. West Camp Creek was on the 303(d) list for temperature prior to the fire. There is approximately one third of a mile of Category IV streams and 2.1 miles of intermittent streams on this property.
The USFS Burned Area Emergency Report (BAER) showed that 80 percent of the 640 acres of private land suffered very intense burn effects; the remainder burned at moderate intensity. Most of the organic layer of soil was identified as burned, exposing mineral soil. Prior to this fire, this watershed grew mixed species conifer stands with a grass/forbs understory and riparian species along the streams. The post fire mortality of vegetation on this property was 98 to 100 percent.
Sheet and rill erosion occurred at a very high rate after the fire. Concentrated flow erosion also led to classic gully erosion. Infiltration was significantly reduced, with substantial areas of hydrophobicity, or soil that allows water to run off and not soak in. The stream corridors were void of sedges, shrubs, and live trees, with very little grass re-growth. Wildlife was severely affected by the burn, with hiding cover and forage eliminated. The property once supported a large elk and deer population, along with grouse and other bird species.
The partners in the project, the landowners, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Burnt River Irrigation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Burnt River Soil and Water Conservation District, developed both short and long range plans to rehabilitate and reforest this property.
It was very important to stabilize the slopes and reduce erosion as soon as possible. Re-seeding and contour falling in the headwalls happened the fall of 2002. A low seeding rate of non-competitive grasses allowed vegetation to reduce erosion while not causing problems with future conifer planting. A “double seeding” of winter wheat in the headwalls was also used to further reduce erosion that was originating in these areas. Due to the steepness of the terrain and number of acres affected, seeding was accomplished by helicopter.
In spring of 2003, Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and western larch seedlings were planted on the north slopes to further reduce erosion and improve long-term watershed quality. Riparian areas were stabilized in 2003 through re-vegetation using sedges, grass, and shrubs native to the area. The south slopes were re-planted in fall of 2003 and spring of 2004. Replanting was limited by seedling availability.
The project was successful. Treatment of the upland areas improved infiltration, reduced hydrophobicity, stabilized the soil, and minimized sediment transportation to the stream system. The riparian area is vigorously regenerating and sediment trapped by vegetation has improved water quality.
Powder River Water Quality Enhancement
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Fish weir on Powder River
(photo by Baker Valley Soil and Water Conservation District)
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The Powder River begins in the Blue Mountains and joins the Snake River near Richland. This project was located along the Powder River, in the heart of Baker Valley in northeastern Oregon.
Historically, livestock watered in the Powder River. They had a detrimental effect on the river’s banks and riparian areas in addition to directly polluting the water by adding E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria. In addition to livestock, urban and rural development and legacy issues, such as mining, have left their mark on the Powder River.
Several landowners took the initiative plan a long-term solution to these problems. The project involved three phases and will benefit several hundred acres. Overall project goals were to improve water quality by limiting access to the river through the use of managed grazing and riparian fencing, install pipeline that supplies water troughs and returns unused water to the river, and increase and control the river gradient using rock weirs. The project is funded by the landowners, USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. Other partners included the Baker Valley Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Natural Resources Conservation Service, Baker Valley Irrigation District, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Baker High School.
Project development included designing a water system for 7,000-8,000 head of cattle, screening the system for fish and debris, installing riparian and cross fencing to facilitate managed grazing, placing accurate “V-notch” rock weirs for fish passage and the removal of diversion structures during low-flows, and restoring the riparian area through seeding and planting. For this large-scale project, planning was time consuming but essential.
Cross-fencing in cattle grazing areas was started in 2004 and finished in summer of 2005. After meticulous engineering, the mainline was fully laid by late spring of 2005. Once the mainline was finished, riparian fencing, and lateral and trough installation began. The riparian fence was gradually erected throughout summer, fall, and winter of 2005.
An outstanding accomplishment for the project and community as a whole was the concrete construction of the troughs. The troughs are made of concrete and sit on concrete pads that extend six feet around the trough and are surrounded by an additional three feet of gravel. Through the winter of 2005 and into 2006, a construction crew—one that might not otherwise have been employed at that time—worked on the trough system in an old Baker City building that had stood unused for thirty years. Some troughs were placed and functional by the end of 2005. Early water quality sampling suggests that the project is successful.
The second phase of this project addressed the same issues as the first both downstream and adjoining Phase 1 along the Powder River. Additional partners in this phase included the Oregon Departments of Agriculture and Water Resources.
For Phase 2, 2004 and 2005 were dominated by engineering surveys and project development. Nevertheless, some tangible accomplishments resulted as well. In late fall of 2005, work began on installation of the mainline pipe. Some lateral pipes, troughs, and cross-fencing were in place by the end of 2005. In an indication of the community’s interest in the project, sizeable tours visited not only the Phase 1 site but also the clearly incomplete Phase 2 site in 2005. Over 80 people observed the Phase 2 progress as part of Baker Valley SWCD’s Conservation Tour in September 2005, and other groups continually visit the project site. Outreach for this project has been tremendous, and media attention has been both considerable and extremely positive. While community interest in the progress on Phase 1 is natural, all the attention on the Phase 2 preliminary steps is particularly heartening to project operators.
At all phases of the project, water quality sampling has been given substantial attention. In winter of 2004 and spring of 2005, samples were drawn from the Powder River at selected sites that cross all three project phases. The results were generally positive, taking into account the project status of the individual locations from which each sample was taken. The real significance of these samples is that they can be used as a baseline against which later samples can be measured for the next several years. Project operators are taking care to continually monitor their own progress as they carry out this plan.
The 2005-2007 Biennial Report provides more information about accomplishments in each watershed basin.
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