Spilyay Tymoo
Warm Springs, Oregon
June 30, 1989 PAGES
Enhancement work to begin
Two segments of Shitike Creek
will be given new looks when work
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Boulders, juniper rip-rap and a rock
Section of Shtike Creek in this summers BPA funded project.
Excess property available for bid
The Deschutes National Forest
has excess property to sell. The
property consists of one ton of
Flooding will
The major limitation of the pro
posed tribal museum site is "its
location within the Shitike Creek
floodplain,"accordingtothe Environ
mental Assessment published June
1989. The area is subject to back
water flooding, the last of which
occurred in 1965.
Development of the site, located
on the south side of highway 26 on
the north side of Shitike Creek,
known as "Ed's (Manion) Field,"
will require construction of the
building on top of five feet of fill,
placing foundations one foot above
the 500-year floodplain.
According to the report, flood
ing "will be a potential nuisance,"
as parking lots and outdoor areas
may be flooded during severe
runoffs. However, geotechnical and
Mill helps protect resource
Warm Springs Forest Products
Industries "has been very coopera
tive" in its efforts to protect the
acquatic environment of a small
channel on its property, reports
Warm Springs fisheries technician
Louie Pitt, Jr. Working with the
Natural Resources department the
Mill has donated time and equip
ment to place boulders and keep
the Shitike Creek diversion chan
nel flowing.
Although artificially created to
feed water to the log pond, the
channel has developed an ecosys
tem that supports many acquatic
species. Its existence was threaten
ed when construction of the small
log mill began. The channel was no
longer needed.
But rather than destroy the
acquatic environment that had been
created over the years, Natural
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WSFPI and Warm Springs Natural Resources department worked
together to protect the acquatic ecosystem of a small diversion channel
begins in July. The Bonneville
Power Administration funded pro-
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Sanditonc Bank
berm will be added to the Rhoan
scrap metal, five snowmobiles, 200
30-gallon capacity cans and two fil
ter hoods (dust, fumes), and one
be "nuisance"
soil suitability studies indicate the
site can be developed "with min
imal problems,' the report states.
Most buildings will be restricted to
single-story construction.
An additional nuisance will be
occasional odor from sewage treat
ment lagoons, upstream from the
site and visual obstruction by pow
erlines on the opposite side oi
Hiahway 26.
Noise will increase slightly dur
ing construction and air quality
will diminish for a short time.
Development of the site will not
increase noise level to any great
degree after construction is com
plete. Architectural design for the
museum will incorporate natural
Continued on page 8
Resources officials and Mill ad
ministrators worked out a way to
modify the stream and keep it
intact.
Under the supervision of Mill
operations manager Bob Brown a
crane was used to move boulders
and open two small passages to
allow water to flow freely. Water
level can also be controlled in times
of high flow from Shitike Creek.
"The mill was very careful and
concerned," says Warm Springs
fisheries biologist Mark Fritsch.
"They took the extra time to divert
more water into thechannel."They
also made certain a fisheries crew
was available "to guide" the opera
tion, says Fritsch. By moving the
boulders, the side channel con
tinues to support acquatic life and
a wetland continues to exist along
with a rearing area for fish.
1
jects calls for integrating structures
into the sream in these l wo areas to
protect and stabilize the bank.
II virologist Tom Bumstead has
been working with the Warm
Springs fisheries crew to develop a
design and will continue monitor
ing the project. We are "learning
together says project field super
visor Louie rut, Jr. Some new
ideas will be tried.
According to Warm Springs tri
bal fisheries biologist Mark Fritsch
work on the segment from the
bridge near the Community Cen
ter, upstream about 300 yards will
locus on slowing the water and
developing pools. In this Holly'
wood segment four large boulder
bcrms located 50 to 60 feet apart
will be constructed. These will
extend across the creek. The con
crete block already in the creek will
be integrated into the structures.
Gravel will also be removed in this
portion to control flow of the
stream.
Approximately 200 yards of
stream will be affected in the second
segment of the BPA project. The
Rhoan section will involve addi
tion of structures totalling 1200
cubic yards of boulders, 68 junip
ers and 2000 vards of gravel.
Hauling of rocks and materials
will begin July 5, according to Pitt.
This may affect the swimming hole
frequented by many children of the
community. Parents are urged to
take their children further upstream
to swim while work takes place.
Upon completion of the project,
more pools for swimming will be
created. Work should conclude by
the end of July.
trailer, 40 by 12 feet. The property
is made available to the public
through a competitive bidding
process. Information regarding the
property and the bid process is
available from the Sisters Ranger
District at 549-2111 or from the
Deschutes National Forest pur
chasing department at 388-8451.
The property will be available
for inspection at the Sisters Ranger
District, Highway 20 West, Sisters, .
June 22 and 23 between 1 and 3
p.m.' Competitive bids will be
opened June 30 at 2 p.m.
Five reservation areas
Comments , and environmental
concerns are being solicited for five
reservation pre-commercial thin
ning units. The Bureau of Indian
Affairs Forestry office would like
the responses of local community
members on these plans.
P664 Pre-commercial Thinning
units
Environmental concerns are re
quested in regards to the P-664
Pre-commercial Thinning Units.
These units are being proposed for
thinning starting in the spring of
1989. The three units account for
approximately 48 acres located in
Township 9 South, Range 1 1 East,
NW and S W portions of Section 7,
Willamette Meridian, Oregon. The
area was last logged under the
Miller Flat Timber Sale in 1988.
Previous logging in this area has
left scattered groups of small, pole
sized ponderosa pne distributed
throughout the treatment area,
according to a report issued by
BIA forest manager Bill Donaghu.
A scattered and non-uniform dis
tribution exist. The majority of the
thinning is proposed in the dense
areas.
Disease factors are minimal in the
three areas.
An intermittent stream runs along
the western boundary of Unit 2
appearing to be active only in times
of high run-off, according to the
report. A 30-foot buffer strip is
included in plans for thinning.
Fringe 1 Pre-commercial Thinning
Unit
Thinning in Fringetfl Pre-commercial
Thinning Unit is proposed for spring
of 1989. This unit consists of ap
proximately 37 acres located in the
NE , SW !4, Sec. I, Township 9
South, Range 10 East, Willamette
Meridian, Oregon. This general area
was treated under the MuddyjRun
Sale in 1988. Harvest of this unit
left scattered overstory ponderosa
pine over one-fourth to one-half
acre-sized scattered groups of sap
lings to small, pole-sized ponde
rosa pine. The majority of the
thinning is proposed in the dense
groups.
Disease factors such as dwarf
mistletoe, root rot and insect popu
lation levels are of minimal signifi
cance with only a light trace of I PS
beetle activity apparent. Stand age
averages 68 years.
According to the report issued
by BIA forest manager Bill
Donaghu. no perennial or inter
Vandals destroy "community's" trees
Vandals recently destroyed sev
eral young locust trees along the
edge of Shitike Creek. They also
removed protective fencing, smash
ing some and throwing some into
the stream.
Trees were planted last summer
in a Bonneville Power Administra
tion funded project to increase
vegetative cover along the stream
bank. Warm Snrines fisheries tech
nician Louie Pitt, Jr. expresses his
dismay regarding the vandalism.
He states, "Vandalism is dumb."
Pitt continues by saying, "The trees
were planted to benefit tribal mem
bership as a whole." Destruction of
these trees "takes away from, not
only the resource, but from the
community people.
In other areas where BPA work
was done the stream shows im
provement: Sediment is being dep
osited in the right places; grass is
beginning to grow on the stream's
edge; juniper trees placed in the
stream are protecting the bank,
preventing erosion and creating a
deeper channel to assist migrating
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Trees, planted during a Bonneville
provide shade and stability to streambanks of Shitike Creek.
mittent water courses of moise areas
appear within the proposed treat
ment area. Big game use of the area
consists of forage and thermal cover
for winter use. No known threa
tened or endangered species inhabit
the unit.
Fringe Pre-commercial Thinning
Unit 2
A third proposed pre-commmercial
thinning unit is Fringe 2 which
consists of approximately 22 acres
located in the NW 4, NE '4, Sec
tion 1 1, Township 9 South, Range
10 East, Willamette meridian,
Oregon. This area was treated under
the Muddy Run Timber Sale in
1988. Scattered groups of small,
pole-sized ponderosa pine were left.
A light component of douglas fir is
present along the southern edge of
the unit. Thinning is proposed for
the dense groups.
Stand disease factors such as
dwarf mistletoe, Armillaria Mellea
root rot and insect activity are
presently scattered throughout the
unit.
No perennial, or intermittent
water courses or vernally moist
areas occur in the proposed treat
ment area. Big game use of this
area appears to be limited to forage
and cover habitat during the winter
months. There are no known threat
ened or endangered species inhab
iting this proposed unit, according
to the forest manager's report.
Longhouse Pre-commercial Thin
ning Unit
The Longhouse pre-commercial
Thinning Unit is being proposed
for thinning starting in the spring
of 1989. This unit consists of
approximately 85 acres located in
the NE i4, NE if section 14,
Township 7 South, Range 10 East,
Willamette Meridian, Oregon. This
unit is located within the boundar
ies of an overwood removal unit
harvested in 1988 under the Long
house Timber Sale. Due to the
harvest regime utilized in this area,
the overstory stand component is
lightly scattered throughout the
unit. The majority of the timber on
this unit consists of scattered groups
of sapling to small, pole-sized pon
derosa pine. These groups range in
size from one-tenth acre to three
acres and present a "favorable
mosaic" between timbered acres
and open area, according to the
forest manager's report to envir
onmental coordinator Gerald
Hennkson. Thinning is proposed
in the dense groups where average
stand densities range between 1.000
anudramous fish; and, rainbow trout
redds are being protected.
Natural Resources personnel
request that visitors to Shitike
Creek help protect the enhance
Young locust trees planted to provide shade along Shitike Creek were
recently vandalized.
fas
Power Administration funded project last summer, will eventually
scheduled for thinning
and 1,500 trees per acre.
Disease factors are of minimal sig
nificance with only a slight trace of
dwarf mistletoe present in the pon
derosa pine.
No perennial or intermittent
water courses or vernally moist
areas occur within the proposed
treatment area. Big game use of
this area appears to be light to
moderate. There are no known or
endangerd species inhabiting this
unit.
Wolford Pre-commercial Thinning
Units
Proposed for thinning beginning in
summer 1989 is the Wolford Pre
commercial Thinning Units. These
are six units totaling 155 acres
located in Township 9 South, Range
1 1 East, portions of Section 29, 3 1
and 32, Willamette Meridian,
Oregon. This area was last logged
in 1986 under the Wolford Canyon
Timber Sale. The selection pres
cription utilized in this general area
Tenino Road
EA discusses extension
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is
proposing to extend East Tenino
Road easterly and connect with
U.S. Highway 26 across from Warm
springs Forest Products Industries.
This road will provide a by-pass
route around Agency Campus for
log trucks and other vehicles utiliz
ing the East Tenino road and bound
to or from the Mill or points south.
According to the Environmental
Asessment the road will provide an
alternate route for present and
future housing subdivisions on the
southside of Shitike Creek.
As reported in the EA the basic
decisions to be made regarding the
road construction is first, whether
or not the road should be con
structed at all and, if so, which of
the alternative locations is the most
desireable. Concerns for location
of the road include: Maintaining
the quality of Shitike Creek and its
riparian and aquatic zones; Pre
venting erosion; Reducing log truck
traffic through the Campus area;
Maintaining a safe environment
for Warm Springs residents; and.
Obtaining a by-pass route around
the Campus area.
Four alternatives have been pro
posed. The first is no action. The
second alternative calls for con
struction of a short road that fol
lows a route above the sewage
ment work. Eventually the sma
trees will provide shade for acqua
tic life as well as providing shade
lor visitors to the stream w ho want
to enjoy the serenity found thrre
has left scattered groups of small,
pole-sized ponderosa pine distrib
uted througnout the sale area. Due
to the scattered mosaic of groups
and relatively open area, the stand s
relative characteristics represent
densely stocked to lightly stocked
or open area. The majority of thin
ning is proposed for the dense
groups.
Some beetle activity occurs in
Units5and6. Dwarf mistletoe and
root rot do not appear to be of
significance on any of the proposed
units. General stand age averages
between 60 and 70 years.
General environmental consider
ations for the five pre-commercial
thinning proposals can be found in
the Timber Stand Improvement
Environmental Assessment for the
years 1989-1992. For more infor
mation or to have questions ans
wered contact Terry Shand or Phil
Wich at the BIA Forestry Office,
553-2416.
lagoon, crosses Shitike Creek east
of the lagoon, and intercepts H igh
way 26 east of the lagoon, and
intercepts Highway 26 west of the
senior's housing area and just east
of where the Highway enters the
flood plain area. The third alterna
tive involves building a road that is
longer than that in Alternative 2
and shorter than the one proposed
in Alternative 4. It will be a road
that will have more mid-slope road
construction and less chance of
access from future subdivisions than
Alternative.
Alternative 4, the recommended
action, involves construction of a
road that commences at the Rehab
Acccess Street and proceeds upward
to the bench above Shitike Creek,
reaching it south of the lagoon. It
proceeds across the bench for ap
proximately one-half mile prior to
commencing its six percent descent
to the riparian zone, east of the
place where Shitike Creek crosses
the highway and opposite WSFPI.
It then curves around crosses High
way 26 at the main mill entrance
and terminates at the back end of
the WSFPI complex. This option
has the least amount of excavation
and would provide good access to
present and future Greeley Heights
Continued on page 8
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