WATERSHED COUNCIL NEWS. A Note from Eli Tome, Executive Director of the Siuslaw Watershed Council

Transcription

1 S September 2018 iuslaw Community Economy Environment WATERSHED COUNCIL NEWS P.O. Box 422 Mapleton, Oregon, A Note from Eli Tome, Executive Director of the Siuslaw Watershed Council This summer at the Siuslaw Watershed Council we ve been busy working with our partners in the basin implementing restoration projects and planning some big changes at the council. You may have noticed our increased online presence, we hope to move more of our communications online over the next year and we re working hard at developing a new website with our partners at Ecotrust. If you aren t following us already online, please look us up on facebook and instagram, that will be the best way to keep up with what we re doing in the future. Our new website should go live this fall, if you ve visited our website lately you may notice how outof-date it is. Soon we ll have a fresh new look online and it ll be a lot easier to see project updates and find out more information from the Watershed Council. We re also working on a lot of outreach and communications materials that we ll hopefully be debuting at our fundraiser this fall, including a new logo. Where else have we been busy working this summer? Fish Creek Large Woody Debris Project We ve been working closely with our partners at the Bureau of Land Management to place 450 pieces of large woody debris in Fish Creek, which is a tributary to Lake Creek near Triangle Lake Falls. This project aims to enhance floodplain connections in high flows, and will create scour pools which are vital to coho salmon habitat over 3 miles of stream. We ve been working with Bateman Forestry Management to tip over trees near the stream with an excavator, and pick up the trees to place in the stream over the last several months. The trees are mostly all tipped over and staged ready to help enhance habitat and stream complexity in Fish Creek! Photo of SWC crew with logs staged at Fish Creek

2 Siuslaw Watershed Council Staff Executive Director Eli Tome Programs Manager Kyle Terry Watershed Restoration Projects Manager Mizu Burruss Financial Manager Karen Skulley Restoration Crew Lead Jesse Jones Restoration Crew Kamari Moeller Restoration Crew Rich Peterson Newsletter Editor Kate Harnedy 2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Dave Eisler Vice-Chair: Les Fetter Secretary: Wendy Farley-Campbell Treasurer: Rodger Bennett Representatives: Kevin Carroll Margaret Corvi Dave Cramsey (Past Chair) Megan Gerber 2 Walker Creek Fish Passage Enhancement Project Again with our partners at the Bureau of Land Management, we ve been working to replace an old culvert which delivers Walker Creek under Walker Creek Road. The old culvert was under-sized and created a velocity barrier and large plunge pool at the outlet, limiting salmon passage through the structure. The SWC has been working with the BLM to design a new open-bottom structure at this site for the past several years, and we are now working with Trask Design and Construction to remove the old culvert and replace it with the new properly-sized structure designed for fish passage and to be able to convey a 100-year flood flow. We re also working with the private landowners adjacent to this location to place several pieces of large woody debris downstream of another culvert on Walker Creek to ensure fish passage through that culvert in the future and to create habitat conditions for salmon. Photo of construction site in the woods Fivemile Bell Stage 0 Restoration We re continuing to work with our partners at the Fivemile Bell restoration site off of Tahkenitch Lake to restore hydrologic conditions across the whole valley bottom throughout 5 miles of valley in Fivemile and Bell Creeks. Along with the Siuslaw National Forest, the Siuslaw Institute, and volunteers we ve been busy doing more valley regrade work (using excavators and construction equipment to regrade the valley bottom to support habitat conditions).

3 We have been planting native plants as well as maintaining older plantings from previous years and protecting them from being crowded out by invasive species. Since 2014, summers at this valley-wide restoration project have been spent maintaining and monitoring native plantings, controlling invasive species, and helping our partners at the U.S. Forest Service with fish relocation and channel reconstruction efforts. This summer, SWC will continue vegetation transect monitoring, mechanical seedling release, and removal of the downstream, Phase 1 wildlife exclosure now that the willows inside are over 10 tall! We are seeking volunteers to help at Fivemile Bell, if interested, nativeplants@siuslaw.org. Previous page : Photo of quadrat in 2017 implementation area containing native rush species, fringed willowherb, willow seedlings and water foxtail North Fork Siuslaw Watershed Helicopter LWD Project This fall, we ll be working closely with the Siuslaw National Forest to place large woody debris throughout ten miles of streams in the North Fork Siuslaw watershed using a helicopter. You may see the helicopter flying with trees attached to a cable this fall in the area, working to restore stream complexity and support salmon habitat. We ve been working with the forest service this summer to identify the locations we ll be placing the large wood, and prepping for implementation this fall when the helicopters are done fighting fires and can work on stream restoration. Top photo : Example photo of LWD placement via helicopter at Filvemile Bell in 2014 Bottom photo : Tributary of North Fork Siuslaw Engineering and Design Projects We ve also been working on designing two tidal restoration projects in the estuary of the Siuslaw with engineering firms and many other partner organizations. We hope that these projects will result in restoring over 400 acres of tidal marsh habitat in the Siuslaw estuary over the next couple of years! All of these projects are made possible through funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and our other project funders including the National Wildlife Foundation, the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and funding provided by the National Forest and Bureau of Land Management. We re also supported by your membership to the Watershed Council, which helps us grow our programs and have a greater impact in the watershed. Your membership directly supports grant writing processes for projects like the ones we mentioned above! 3

4 SWC 2018 Camp Recap Celebrating our 14th year of Siuslaw Watershed Camp this 2018 season, we enjoyed a record number in attendance for a one-week camp. Fifty students were accepted, ranging from fourth grade through high school and traveled throughout the Siuslaw Watershed engaging in a wide range of outdoor learning activities. While most of the students came from the Siuslaw and Mapleton School Districts, campers from as far away as Portland also attended. With presentations by seasoned presenters, scientists and volunteers, this branch of education and outreach builds a legacy of watershed stewardship for the next generation. The camp utilizes a three-legged approach to learning that incorporates education, restoration, and recreation. In this way, campers learn and are able to apply a hands-on approach while at the same time have fun! Watershed campers participate in restoration activities, surveys and studies, gaining skills that they can apply to future stewardship. The restoration work that is accomplished during camp has an immediate positive impact on stream health. One of the goals of watershed camps is to help equip participants with a background of knowledge and skills for a lifetime of scientific learning and working for the health of the watershed. Activities led by many presenters provide exposure to different fields of study and opportunities for working within the watershed. This year campers met biologists, botanists, Forest Service Rangers, STEP volunteers, foresters / timber managers, water safety guides, tribal culture guides and more. Campers traveled to various sites throughout the Siuslaw Watershed and Coastal Lakes. This year the sites were on the Coastal Dunes, at Siltcoos Trail, Honeyman State Park, Sutton Lake, Camp Lane, and the Florence beaches. Activities included a scotch broom pull, a transect at Tree Island, sandboarding, Snowy Plover biology and habitat, bird-watching, hiking, boating, field games, a canoe pull, water quality monitoring, a traditional tribal tea, removing Japanese knotweed, making fish prints, freshwater ecology, orienteering, volleyball, forestry, a scavenger hunt, and horseback riding. Watershed camp is made possible by the generosity of many organizations and people. The Siuslaw Watershed Council and Camp staff would like to extend a sincere thank you to the following for their contribution to this year s camp: The Ford Family Foundation, Siuslaw School District, the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, Western Lane Community Foundation, Mapleton Community Foundation, the Rotary Club of Florence, Fred Meyer, Sand Dunes Frontier, C&M Stables, Sandmaster Park, Honeyman State Park, Florence area S.T.E.P., the US Forest Service, Camp Lane, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Roseburg Forest Products, ECO, OPRD and many local volunteers. Also a special thank you to those SWC members who donated to our annual Sponsor-ACamper for scholarships offered to several campers this year. Thank you for making this valuable opportunity for area youth possible. 4 We thank BLM for their cooperation. In order to continue our partnership, we are required to include: The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government.

5 Siuslaw River Water Trails The Siuslaw River Water Trail has over 30 river- Points of Interest miles of paddling opportunities along the North Fork and mainstem Siuslaw River between 1. Siuslaw River Bridge Mapleton, Oregon and the Pacific Ocean and can be accessed from points along Highway 126 Historic art deco WPA bridge and from Old Town Florence. 2. Siuslaw River Water Trails Free launch site, toilets 3. North Bank: 17 miles North Fork: 5 miles Bender Landing 3 miles up North Fork Rd. fee launch site, toilets 4. Old Town Loop: 3 South Bank Adventure: 10 miles Old Town Florence and Port of Siuslaw Cox Island The Nature Conservancy 5. Cushman Mile marker 4 on Hwy 126, 2 private launch sites For detailed directions: Plan in advance for a safe boating experience. Tide levels and times for the Siuslaw River entrance and Florence available at Detailed weather forecasts and river level predictions available at: Fees may be required at certain launch sites 6. Private and public mix See the Water Trail website for more information. 9. Davidson Industries Private 10. Sweet Creek Navigable depending on tide 11. Mapleton Mile marker 14 on Hwy 126, fee launch site, toilets 12. Project Partners: Siuslaw Watershed Council, Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and the Siuslaw Indians, Oregon Parks 13. and Recreation, National Park Service, Lane 14. County Parks. 5 Duncan Inlet Tiernan Mile marker 9 on Hwy 126, free launch site Paddle at your own risk Please respect private property boundaries Karnowsky Creek Mapleton Riverview Avenue Free launch site, toilets Knowles Creek Farnham Landing 2 miles up Hwy 36, fee launch site, toilet

6 Student Essay This summer, Eli Tome, the Executive Director here at the Watershed Council had Jacqueline Beecher, a student from Triangle Lake Charter School shadow him on a visit to the Fish Creek Large Wood Project. Jacqueline wrote the following essay reflecting on their day in the field together: I am a senior at Triangle Lake Charter School this year and as a graduation requirement I am expected to explore the career I have chosen to go into. That includes completing a job shadow, during which I shadow, or closely observe someone completing the tasks of an average work day. This allows students to get very personal with the career they ve chosen to follow. Since I ve chosen to explore a career in environmental science, I contacted my local Watershed Council in Mapleton to see if a staff member was available to spend the day with. I had the privilege of meeting up with Eli Tome, who took me to one of the restoration projects he had been working on. We traveled up the river, marking the areas that needed management. Along the way, Eli taught me about the importance of Oregon rivers and their functions. I learned a lot about groundwater, the movement of sediment within the river s current, endangered species in Oregon, and more. It was a valuable and fun experience that reinforced my desire to be an environmental scientist. Thank you for taking the time to let me further explore the career path that I have chosen in a fun and interactive way. I hope to keep in contact with the Mapleton Watershed Council and gain more experience within the environmental science career. Wood Duck Nesting Boxes Wood ducks are one of the few ducks with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches. These stunning waterfowl nest in holes in trees or nest boxes, usually on lake and stream margins. Many Siuslaw Watershed Council restoration projects are suitable wood duck habitat and we are actively seeking new volunteers who have experience constructing nesting boxes. If you have built, installed or monitored wood duck nesting boxes and would like to volunteer, nativeplants@siuslaw.org or call (541) Photo by Kit Larsen 6

7 Calendar of Meetings & Events Monday, September 3rd Siuslaw SWCD Board Meeting 6:30 PM, Contact SWCD for information ( ) Thursday, September 6th SWC Technical Team Meeting 9:30 AM-11:30 AM, SWC Office Thursday, September 6th (Tentative) Siuslaw Stewardship Group Meeting 1:00-3:00 PM, SWC Office *Contact cascadepacific.org to confirm Monday, September 10th SWC Board of Directors Meeting 5:30 PM, SWC Office Thursday, October 4th SWC Technical Team Meeting 9:30 AM-11:30 AM, SWC Office Saturday September 22nd Celebrate Siuslaw Salmon 5:30 PM, Florence Event Center 715 Quince St., Florence Come Celebrate Siuslaw Salmon with us! Doors open at 5:00 PM Tickets can be purchased online at Eventbrite, on our website or on our Facebook page! Thursday, October 4th (Tentative) Siuslaw Stewardship Group Meeting 1:00-3:00 PM, SWC Office *Contact stewardship cascadepacific.org to confirm Monday, October 1st Siuslaw SWCD Board Meeting 6:30 PM, Contact SWCD for information ( ) Monday, October 8th SWC Board of Directors Meeting 5:30 PM, SWC Office Celebrate Siuslaw Salmon Saturday, September 22nd, 2018 Florence Events Center Come Celebrate Siuslaw Salmon with us at the Florence Events Center in beautiful Florence, Oregon on Saturday September 22, The event will be kicking off at 5:00 pm with live music, programming to begin at 5:30 and dinner follow shortly after. In addition to the ticket proceeds, a silent auction will be held to help support the Siuslaw Watershed Council (SWC). Your contributions will go directly to the SWC to support our efforts in restoring and protecting watershed health, water quality, and native fish populations. We will also be hosting a live auction after dinner again this year! Please bring the whole family and join us at the Annual 2018 Celebrate Siuslaw Salmon event! Tickets can be purchased online at Eventbrite, on our website or on our Facebook page! com/e/celebrate-siuslawsalmon-dinner-and-auction- 7

8 What s inside: Note from SWC Executive Director & Project Updates pages 1-3 SWC Camp 2018 Recap page 4 Sisulaw Water Trail page 5 Student Essay page 6 Wood Duck Nesting Boxes page 6 Calendar page 7 Celebrate Siuslaw Salmon page 7 Siuslaw Watershed Council Mission Statement The Siuslaw Watershed Council supports sound economic, social and environmental uses of natural and human resources in the Siuslaw River Basin. The Council encourages cooperation among public and private watershed entities to promote awareness and understanding of watershed functions by adopting and implementing a total watershed approach to natural resource management and production. S Community Economy Environment iuslaw WATERSHED COUNCIL P.O. Box 422 Mapleton, Oregon, watershed@siuslaw.org facebook.com/ siuslawwatershedcouncil What s Happening in Your Watershed?