Projects
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Council
Profiles &
Projects
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The watershed councils do a wide variety of work in the county. Some of these projects include: watershed assessments and action plans; fish passage projects; riparian fencing and planting; upgrading forest and ranch roads; fish habitat enhancement; monitoring of resource conditions and project effectiveness; and public outreach and education. Both the South Coast and Lower Rogue councils have paid coordinators, and there is a county-wide monitoring coordinator (part-time). The watershed councils share an office with the Curry County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). The phone number is (541) 247-2755. Other partners working with the councils include state and federal agencies, local government, OSU Extension, private timber companies, private landowners, fishing guides, and a variety of local citizen groups. PROJECT TYPES Most of the watershed council projects fall into five main types: 1) upslope, 2) fish passage, 3) riparian , 4) in-stream, and 5) monitoring and data collection. Upslope: One of the key limiting factors for the production of salmonids in our area is excess sedimentation. There are many old roads, some built in the 40‘s and 50‘s, that are prone to landslides and erosion, which can affect water quality and fish habitat. Much of our work is helping to fix or improve upslope areas by replacing undersized culverts, pulling back unstable road fills, and adding road drainage structures such as cross drains or waterbars. Fish Passage: Barriers to fish passage such as culverts with steep drops at the outlet or too steep of a grade prevent mature fish from returning to spawn and juvenile fish from reaching rearing areas. We fix these barriers by modifying or repositioning culverts or replacing them with bridges. This is a very cost-effective form of restoration since it makes available existing habitat that had been blocked from fish use. Fish Passage: Undersized culverts and other barriers prevent fish from reaching new areas to spawn and rear as juveniles. One of the best things we can do to help fish is provide freshwater habitat for them. We do this by replacing undersized or damaged culverts with improved culverts or bridges at road crossings. Riparian restoration: Trees in the riparian area are vital to productive fish habitat. Trees provide organic material, leaves, bugs and macroinvertebrates that young fish need to survive. Riparian trees also shade streams, keeping water temperatures cool; and hold soil to reduce erosion into streams and rivers. Many of our projects include fencing, planting and off-stream watering. Fencing keeps livestock out of riparian areas, reducing erosion and damage to streambanks. Off-stream watering provides the necessary water away from the stream for livestock. Planting of native trees (especially conifers) helps re-establish riparian vegetation. Each winter, the watershed councils plant between 20,000 and 30,000 native conifers in riparian areas along county streams. In-stream habitat: In-stream work includes the placement of large wood according to the latest Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) guidelines. Large wood provides multiple benefits for all species of native salmonids. Large wood traps spawning gravel; it provides refuge for juveniles; it helps create pools, a vital component of freshwater habitat; it produces insects for fish food; and it contributes organic material to the riverine system. In some locations, we also install boulder weirs to improve habitat -- in locations where large wood is not feasible. Monitoring: We have an active monitoring program that assesses the scientific credibility of all our work. Monitoring includes the following: 1) road surveys to assess potential road failures, with recommendations for cost-effective fixes; 2) stream habitat surveys to determine the biologically most productive reaches of streams and rivers in Curry County; 3) water temperature and stream flow monitoring, in cooperation with the Oregon DEQ, to check water temperatures and identify areas that can use additional shade; 4) measuring water quality conditions in the Rogue River Boat Basin and estuary; and 5) project effectiveness monitoring, to ensure that our projects are reaching their objectives.
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