West Fork Cow Creek Watershed Restoration Collaborative Implemetation (phase IV)

This project replaced an undersized failing culvert on Steelhead Creek in the West Fork Cow Creek Watershed opening an additional mile of habitat to all fish species. Log structures were placed upstream and downstream of the replaced culvert. Due to shared funding from two PCSRF grantees (Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and OWEB), the reporting of accomplishments and funding is parsed to remove redundant reporting to PCSRF. This project reports the culvert replacement work. The OWEB project will now report the instream work that was implemented. The full accomplishments and costs for the project are reflected by aggregating this project, WF Cow Creek IV implementation and the OWEB project, OWEB 219-2008-16388.

The project proposed in this application will simultaneously improve water quality and address fish passage. The replacement of the Steelhead Creek culvert will address fish passage issues within the watershed and allow Coho and other fish species in all life stages to access an additional mile of habitat that had been cut off to them. This project will also improve water quality by reducing sediment inputs in the stream caused by this failing culvert.