Austin Hot Springs Conservation Area Habitat Enhancement

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS, the Tribes) are partnering with the Clackamas River Basin Council (CRBC) to reclaim side channels and floodplains at the Austin Hot Springs Conservation Area in the upper Clackamas River (RM 60). The PCSRF funds will go toward replanting disturbed riparian areas and site maintenance (C.5 and C.11). Located on property owned by the CTWS, in unincorporated Clackamas County, OR, the 150-acre property includes nearly a mile of mainstem Clackamas River and approximately 35 acres of riparian habitat with the remainder of the property covered by coniferous and deciduous forest. Funds from the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program (WWMP) under a 2010 Memorandum of Agreement between the State of Oregon and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), in coordination with the CTWSRO and other interested Tribes, were used to mitigate for the wildlife impacts of the federal Willamette River hydropower system (BPA and State of Oregon 2010). The Property is under a Conservation Easement funded and held by BPA, whose purpose is to preserve in perpetuity the Conservation Values of the Property.



Proposed restoration activities by the CRBC in partnership with the Tribes, in addition to riparian planting and site maintenance will entail; remediation of impacts to the hot springs side channel and riparian areas from unauthorized users including removal of user created structures from the hot springs side channel, excavating two new side channels, enhancing two existing high flow channels, and placement of large wood structures for flow routing, habitat creation and maintenance. Grading and de-compacting user created parking and camping areas and removal of driveways from USFS 46 are also important project components.



The in-stream portion of the construction project is planned for construction during the in-water work window (July 15 – August 30) of 2024. The expectation is all in-water work will be completed prior to the closing of the ODFW/NOAA approved work window. Spring Chinook will be moving through the site during the in-water work widow and may start spawning activity, in the site, as early as late August/early September making an extension to the end of the in-water work window untenable. It may be possible for work to begin on portions of the project above and outside of jurisdictional areas specifically the camping and parking areas and the two new side channels, prior to the start of the in-water work window if all required permits have been obtained. The CRBC will be the recipients of the Tribes’ PCSRF funding and will solicit and hire subcontractors for the project.



Worksite #1 Proposed Work:

The existing hot springs side channel will be graded to remove user created water control structures and other non-natural components and excavation of an overflow channel to the river. The project will also excavate and grade two new side channel in existing terraces (camping and parking areas) that are above and outside of Ordinary High Water (OHW). Two other off channel areas (partly or entirely within OHW) adjacent to the Clackamas River will have minor grading. A NPDES 1200c permit from DEQ will be obtained for this site prior to starting construction related activities at the site.



The construction and placement of various large wood structures is an integral component of the project. 6 “apex” style and one “deflector” style large wood structures, as well as, 73 other less complex large wood structures and over 180 logs will be placed throughout the side channels and along the mainstem of the river. Transport of ~1200 cyds of small wood and slash from PGE stockpiles at Faraday Dam to the site is part of this task. Fish salvage will be required to construct most if not all complex log structures (apex and deflector) along the river and for remedial grading actions in the hot springs side channel.



Erosion con

The goal of the project is to address key limiting factors to salmon populations in the upper Clackamas River, identified as improved access to, and conditions of, side channel and off-channel habitats, and habitat complexity for rearing juvenile salmonids. Secondary goals are improved floodplain vegetation conditions and precluding unauthorized vehicular user access to the site.