The SWC is pleased to announce the completion of a large woody debris (LWD) placement project that wrapped up earlier this month in Fish Creek, near Triangle Lake. Fish Creek is a major tributary to Lake Creek in the Triangle Lake 6th field sub-watershed. Lake Creek is a tributary of the Siuslaw River that enters the river near the town of Swisshome and river mile 29.
The SWC contracted with Bateman Forest Management to place over 160 pieces of large wood in the creek. The LWD is configured to simulate naturally occurring jams which increases stream complexity, improves off-channel habitat development, and restores floodplain connectivity. Habitat restoration work for coho has been prioritized on Fish Creek by both the Siuslaw Coho Business Plan (2018) and the BLM’s Aquatic Restoration Strategy for Western Oregon (2015).
Much of the LWD was acquired and transported through a materials acquisition grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) and donated by ODOT from a lane expansion project and stored by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in their Walton yard. Additional pieces of wood were donated by the BLM from various sources around the watershed. The Fish Creek LWD project is funded through grants from both OWEB and the BLM. Our thanks go out to these project partners, and to Bateman Forest Management, for a job well done!
