Flying Trees at Indian Creek
Trees were flying through the sky in the Indian Creek watershed this October! We have been working with our partners at the Siuslaw National Forest to add trees to the river to create better habitat for salmon, amphibians, and other species that rely on healthy rivers and wetlands!
We’re adding wood in strategic locations throughout eight miles of streams that have been degraded from past land management actions. Last century, colonizers in our watershed cleaned streams of wood and boulders, and simplified the river’s form so streams could be used to transport trees to mills downstream. This was common practice before we had roads in our watershed, and in many other places throughout the Oregon Coast. Today we’re adding trees back to the river to slow down flood flows allowing the river to deposit gravels, to provide slow water refuge for fish, to support pool formation, and to reconnect the river with its floodplain—all of which are habitat characteristics important to salmon and many other species!
This project is made possible with funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation , and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)through the Wild Salmon Center . A big thank you to MBL Timber Services and Bateman Forestry Management for tipping trees for this project which were placed in the river with help from Columbia Helicopters. When we invest in restoration of our watershed, we’re investing in our local economy and community. There were over 20 folks working long hours to make this project happen!
FUNDERS
