North Fork Eagle Creek Dam Removal Project

The North Fork Eagle Creek Dam Removal project addresses the decline in Lower Columbia River ESA listed salmonid fish populations partly attributed to a lack of access to high quality habitat. This project will restore full volitional fish passage to high quality spawning and rearing habitat for ESA listed Lower Columbia River winter steelhead, coho salmon and spring Chinook within the North Fork Eagle Creek sub-basin. This dam is listed on OR Dept of Fish & Wildlifes Statewide Fish Passage Priority List as the 8th highest priority within the North Willamette Watershed District. The dam lies downstream of a highly functioning natural stream reach. This dam is not a complete barrier to upstream fish passage for adult salmon and steelhead but is a complete barrier for juvenile salmon and other resident adult native migratory fish species including cutthroat trout. The project partners include Waterways Consulting, OR Dept of Fish & Wildlife, Trout Unlimited and Confluence Consulting.

Implementing this project will remove the only mainstem full-spanning fish passage barrier on the North Fork Eagle Creek and will improve habitat connectivity within North Fork Eagle Creek. It will increase access to over 8 miles of highly productive spawning and rearing habitat for ESA listed fish coho and winter steelhead. Greater access to more appropriate spawning and rearing habitat will result in juvenile rearing in higher quality habitats. Survival of juveniles will improve overall survival leading to an increase in native, wild salmon and steelhead populations.