30
Wednesday, May 17, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
CREEK: Stretch through
town needs some
restoration
Continued from page 1
debris floating downstream
during high water flows. The
sewer line on the Highway 20
bridge is on concrete pilings
that are causing the creek to
swirl around them, creating
more bank erosion. Everyone
involved would also like to
prevent future issues with any
sewer line adjustments block-
ing projected fish passage.
The multiple approaches
to both sides of the creek have
created wear and tear on the
banks. With proper planning,
specific appropriate access
points can be created, reduc-
ing damage to the creek bank
as a whole.
The UDWC has been
working closely with the
Deschutes Land Trust,
Portland General Electric, the
Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs, the City of Sisters,
and local farmers, ranchers,
and residents to protect and
enhance the entire habitat of
Whychus Creek and the sur-
rounding land to encourage
not only the return of steelhead
and trout to the creek, but to
accrue other benefits as well.
Their goals include clean,
abundant water; healthy habi-
tat for fish and wildlife; sce-
nic views; and recreational
opportunities. Over the past
six years, a great deal of res-
toration work has been under-
taken along Whychus Creek
where it flows through Sisters
Country. The Land Trust has
remeandered the creek to its
original course through Camp
Polk Meadow, and has also
secured eight miles of prop-
erty along the creek to conduct
and maintain guaranteed habi-
tat enhancement for fish and
wildlife as well as recreational
and educational opportunities.
Screens have been placed
on all irrigation diversions
off the creek to keep fish
in the main channel. Small
dams have been removed and
pocket habitat is being created
for spawning areas.
If the fish are to reach the
sixteen miles of Whychus that
lie upstream from Sisters, it
is imperative that there be no
barriers to moving the fish
through the one mile of urban-
ized habitat in Sisters.
The City and the UDWC
would like to work together to
create a comprehensive plan
investigating all options for
the entire Creekside Park and
Campground area holistically.
To accomplish that goal,
City staff and the Parks
Advisory Board are going
to ask the City Council to
approve changing the desig-
nation of the $10,000 from
the campground restroom
facility grant for repair of the
riparian area, to using that
money to secure larger grants
through the UDWC funders
to address the many layers of
the Whychus Creek habitat
enhancement, which include:
two utility crossings (sewer);
two vehicle bridges at the
boundaries of the project site;
a foot bridge; recreational
access; interpretive signage;
planning for flood flows and
other factors.
Ryan Houston, execu-
tive director of the UDWC,
explained to the PAB the pro-
cesses involved in a compre-
hensive project.
“We would like to begin
the project with a comprehen-
sive planning phase in which
we enroll the services of a
team of hydrologists, engi-
neers, and restoration profes-
sionals to develop a plan that
will result in a high-quality
project for the area. Once this
plan is in place, and we have
secured the support of key
local partners, we can then
pursue funding to implement
the restoration project.
Houston proposed the proj-
ect be staged in two phases.
Phase I (Design) would begin
this summer by applying for
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
Whychus Creek needs a little TLC in the stretch that runs through Sisters.
design funding. A design team
would be hired in fall 2017
with the design being com-
pleted by summer 2018.
Phase II (Implementation)
would involve applying for
implementation funding in
summer 2018, followed by
securing the necessary per-
mits and completing other
implementation preparations
in fall 2018. The actual proj-
ect would be implemented in
summer 2019.
The UDWC is confident
their funding applications will
probably be successful. The
funding will require matching
funds from the City such as
the $10,000 from the OPRD
grant and in-kind City staff
time.
The City Community
Development department has
also applied for a $60,000
OPRD matching grant to
make access improvements
to the pedestrian bridge in
Creekside Park to make it
ADA-compliant by reducing
the slope of the approaches
on either side. That project
will fit nicely into the riparian
enhancement project.
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