Background
The OWEB Board’s Monitoring Committee and staff have identified stream restoration efforts to restore a stream channel to Stage 0 a priority area to investigate via programmatic effectiveness monitoring. “Stage 0 restoration” is a valley-scale, process-based (hydrologic, geologic and biological) approach that aims to reestablish depositional environments to maximize longitudinal, lateral, and vertical connectivity at base flows and facilitate development of dynamic, self-formed and self-sustaining wetland-stream complexes.
Photo Credit: Jay Mather/Deschutes Land Trust
Project Summary
In July 2019, the board made a funding decision to invest in effectiveness monitoring of two Stage 0 restoration projects in Oregon that OWEB has funded in the past and information sharing associated with Stage 0 restoration approaches.
Effectiveness monitoring of Stage 0 projects in the a) South Fork McKenzie River, Upper Willamette Basin, and b) Whychus Creek in the Upper Deschutes Basin. Monitoring activities include biological, geomorphic, physical habitat, and water quality monitoring. The monitoring utilizes a mix of field based methods and remote sensing approaches. Monitoring in the Upper Willamette and Upper Deschutes basins were initiated with these funds in 2020 and expect to continue for another 3-4 years.
This investment also includes convening a workshop to bring together practitioners, researchers, regulators and other stakeholders to discuss current topics and data gaps related to implementing and monitoring restoration projects intended to achieve a Stage 0 condition.
Workshop Summary Report
In coordination with Institute for Natural Resources (INR) at Oregon State University (OSU) OWEB successfully hosted a workshop on November 5 and 6, 2020. The workshop was open to discussion of all types of restoration actions focused on restoring Stage 0 conditions, but was primarily focused on outcomes and monitoring of larger-scale projects that utilized heavy equipment to move large amounts of sediment into incised channels from adjacent terraces to reset the valley floor and increase floodplain connection. This workshop was recorded and INR has made the videos of this workshop available at the links below.
Stage 0 Workshop: Day 1 Sessions I & II - Stage 0 Background/Overview, and Challenges & Uncertainties
Stage 0 Workshop: Day 1 Session I - Stage 0 Background/Overview
Stage 0 Workshop: Day 1 Session II - Challenges & Uncertainties
Stage 0 Workshop: Day 1 Session II - Breakout Groups - Challenges & Uncertainties
Stage 0 Workshop: Day 2 Current Monitoring and Evolving Knowledge & Communication Network/Process
Stage 0 Workshop: Day 2 Session III Part 1 - Current Monitoring Approaches
Stage 0 Workshop: Day 2 Session III Part 2 - Evolving Knowledge
Stage 0 Workshop: Day 2 Session IV - Communication Network or Process
The report,
River Restoration to Achieve a Stage Zero Condition: Summary of a Workshop, summarizes the workshop sessions, key points made and includes transcriptions of the question and answer sessions. The document also includes appendices that summarizes responses from pre and post-workshop surveys and written responses to unanswered questions during the workshop.
Contact
Please direct questions or comments to
Ken Fetcho, Effectiveness Monitoring Coordinator, 971-345-7018.