10 Fall 2012 Applegater
Large wood in the creek
Love it and leave it
bY ELizAbETh muRPhY
In January, the National Marine
Fisheries Service released its draft of the
Southern Oregon Northern California
Coho Recovery Plan (http://swr.nmfs.
noaa.gov/recovery/). This document
addressed the status of coho salmon in
the Middle Rogue/Applegate Rivers and
detailed limitations and threats to recovery.
According to the assessment, coho in this
part of the Rogue basin are at high risk
of extinction. As detailed by the plan,
the Applegate Valley, though limited by
some steep gradient and mountainous
terrain, does contain many important
coho tributaries, which have high value
and high potential for fish habitat recovery.
Tributaries listed include Slate, Cheney,
Murphy, Thompson, Beaver, and Williams
creeks.
Nonetheless, these important fish-
bearing streams are threatened by limited
fish-habitat conditions, such as low flow,
increased temperature, limited shade from
riparian trees lining the creek, altered
sediment supply and limited floodplain
and channel complexity and connectivity,
to name a few. One important factor in
these limitations is the absence of large
wood along many miles of these tributaries.
Large wood in the creek has important
hydrological and ecological functions. It
slows water, creates deep pools, stabilizes
banks, contributes nutrients to the stream,
and provides important habitat for coho
and other fish species. In addition,
contrary to popular belief, large wood
in the creek and on the floodplain can
actually reduce the severity of flood events.
The presence of large wood and root wads
causes scouring of pools, important for
holding fish, and deposition of gravel beds,
which are vital for spawning. Additionally,
the shade and cover offered by wood and
root wads in the creek provide cooler
summer water temperatures and protection
from predators. For these reasons, large
wood is vital to promoting, protecting,
and restoring salmon in the Applegate
Valley. Looking at the stream from a fish-
eye view offers an amazing perspective on
the depleted habitat and food resources of
a seemingly beautiful stream. A little large
wood can go a long way.
Because of these ecological benefits,
public and private stream restoration
projects have placed large wood in streams
across much of Oregon. In the Applegate
Valley, the Williams Creek Watershed
Council has implemented many of these
projects along Williams Creek and its
tributaries over the last decade. Hundreds
of donated standing dead and hazard trees
have been placed within the waters of the
creeks in the Williams Creek watershed
for habitat improvements and bank
stabilization. Numerous other Applegate
Valley landowners have used large wood as
a bioengineering tool for bank stabilization.
In contrast to using hardened boulders or
concrete to address bank erosion, large
wood provides added habitat benefits for
fish, such as reduced flood severity due to
increased channel roughness.
So what can you do to promote fish
habitat in Applegate Valley tributaries?
For starters, leave it! If wood falls
in the creek, don’t
remove it without
a good reason. It
might look messy
at first, but after
realizing all the
benefits it holds,
these fallen logs
A large-wood installation on the west fork of Williams Creek.
become more and
Photo by Chas Rogers.
more appealing. If
you need technical assistance or advice, call across the Applegate Valley. The Williams
the watershed council to come take a look. Creek and Applegate Valley Watershed
Enhance riparian areas to provide Councils will be offering a large-wood
the potential for large-wood recruitment information session and field tour in
in the future. One reason for the absence November, highlighting the successful
of large wood is the removal of conifers work of the Williams Creek Watershed
from riparian forests in agricultural and Council over the last decade. We will
urban areas. Replanting these species hold an informative presentation about
not only provides the important water- instream large-wood projects on Friday,
cooling benefits of streamside shade vital November 2, from 6 - 8 pm (location to
to improving fish habitat, but also offers be announced) and a field tour of Williams
wood for the next generation of fallen logs. Creek projects on Sunday, November 4,
Contact the Applegate Watershed Council from 1 - 4:30 pm.
To learn more about large-wood
for more information about its ongoing
projects in your area, receive technical
riparian restoration program.
Add it! If you don’t see a stick of assistance, assess the habitat conditions
large wood in the creek that runs through of your stream, or attend the large-wood
your property, consider getting involved in workshops, please contact Ea Murphy,
restoration. If you have a bank stabilization Applegate Partnership and Watershed
project, consider using wood instead of Council riparian program manager, at
hardened materials like rock or concrete. riparianprogram@arwc.org or 541-890-
The Williams Creek and Applegate River 8458.
Elizabeth “Ea” Murphy
Watershed Councils offer the resources to
Riparian Program Manager
assess the benefits of specific large-wood
Applegate Partnership and
projects and to make these projects a reality
Watershed Council
when appropriate.
Riparianprogram@arwc.org
Finally, learn more about the steps
541-899-9982
you can take to improve fish habitat
Propagating, planting and partnering
Seventeen years of riparian restoration in the Applegate
bY jAnELLE DunLEVY AnD ELizAbETh muRPhY
Since 1994, the Applegate Partnership
and Watershed Council (APWC) has
worked with hundreds of landowners to
restore degraded streamside riparian areas
across the valley. Since its formation,
many people have dedicated their time,
knowledge and hard work to develop
APWC’s programs across the Applegate
Watershed. The late Jan Perttu was one
of those dedicated individuals, as several
writers so eloquently attest to in this
Applegater issue.
Over the last 18 years, with funding
and partnerships from the Oregon
Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB),
nonprofit organizations, and federal
agencies, hundreds of thousands of native
trees and shrubs have been planted along
more than 80 stream miles. Enhanced
riparian conditions through these efforts
have improved fish habitat, water quality,
bank stability, non-point source pollution,
and the esthetic appeal of waterways
throughout the valley.
Throughout the last decade, the
late Tim Franklin was instrumental in
ensuring the success of the Watershed
Council’s Riparian Restoration Program.
As an Applegate Valley resident and farmer,
he cared deeply about the environmental
quality of the Applegate Watershed and
dedicated himself to improving native
plant communities, water quality, and
fish habitat. At Yale Creek Ranch, Tim
endeavored to demonstrate through his
own management style that ranching does
not have to have negative environmental
impacts. In addition to serving as
Annual volunteer work party at
Provolt Seed Orchard, March 2012.
the riparian program manager, Tim
participated in numerous restoration
projects including road improvements,
fish passage enhancement, water quality
monitoring, and youth education programs.
He also initiated and administered the
Salmon-Safe certification in the Applegate
Valley. Tim’s training as a watershed
scientist was invaluable to the watershed-
wide monitoring and assessment efforts
completed by APWC over the last decade.
His high regard and good relations in the
community strengthened partnerships
with landowners and high levels of
participation in the Riparian Restoration
Program. Tim Franklin, who tragically
passed away last October, will be greatly
missed by all. His efforts to restore and
protect the Applegate River Watershed
will not be easily forgotten. The Applegate
Partnership and Watershed Council extend
its deepest thanks to Tim Franklin and his
family for his selfless work in the Applegate
over the years.
The Riparian Restoration Program
continues the efforts of Jan Perttu, Tim
Franklin and other former program
managers in 2011-2013 with support
from OWEB. Watershed-wide restoration
activities include projects on Yale Creek,
Quartz Gulch, the Little Applegate River,
Forest Creek, Humbug Creek, Williams
Creek, and Cheney Creek. Many of the
targeted projects are on streams listed
as water-quality limited by the Oregon
Department of Environmental Quality,
and streams that have high potential for
fish habitat enhancement. In the 2012-
2013 season, additional planting stock
and technical assistance will be available
to landowners interested in improving
riparian conditions. In 2012-2013, the
watershed council will also implement
targeted restoration efforts along a two-
mile contiguous stretch of Thompson
Creek with support from Blue Sky Habitat
Funds. This work along a significant
portion of the creek will go a long way
to improving fish habitat conditions in
future generations. The watershed council
recently hired a new riparian restoration
program manager, Elizabeth (Ea) Murphy,
to continue these efforts. Ea has worked
on restoration projects in southern Oregon
for over a decade and holds an MSc in soils
and biogeochemistry.
The success of the Applegate
Riparian Restoration Program over the
years is also indebted to the volunteer
plant propagation crew, formerly led by
Applegate resident Hal Macy. According to
Tami Jebb, horticulturalist at Sprague Seed
Orchard, the Applegate plant propagation
program was a model of rural communities
taking part in restoration. From 2004 to
2010, the volunteer crew collected seeds
and worked with Tami Jebb to grow and
maintain thousands of Applegate Valley
native plants for use in the Riparian
Restoration Program. These efforts
amounted to thousands of dollars in savings
and allowed the Riparian Restoration
Program to considerably expand its
planting efforts. At the same time, it
offered skills training for Applegate Valley
residents in plant propagation techniques
and tools. The Riparian Restoration
program is currently looking for new
volunteers to continue the successful work
of the plant propagation program. The
Applegate Partnership and Watershed
Council will host a plant propagation
workshop on Friday, September 14, from
1 - 4:30 pm at the Applegate Library for
those interested in learning more about
propagating native Applegate Valley plants
from seed.
For more information about
Applegate riparian restoration, native
plant propagation, resources available for
Applegate Valley residents, or volunteer
opportunities with APWC, please contact
Ea Murphy at riparianprogram@arwc.org
or 541-890-8458.
Janelle Dunlevy
APWC Coordinator
Elizabeth “Ea” Murphy
APWC Riparian Program Manager
541-899-9982
coordinator@arwc.org