Tributary to Juno Creek: Fish Passage and Wetland Restoration Project

The proposed fish passage and wetland restoration project is located off Latimer Road N. approximately .6 miles east of Highway 101 on Tillamook Creamery property. Here, a tributary to Juno Creek flows out of Tillamook State Forest land and into a multi-stage wetland before passing through two side by side culverts and entering Juno Creek. The two culverts are undersized and collapsing, creating a partial barrier to both adult and juvenile fish at different flow stages. Above the culverts, there are approximately .9 miles of spawning and rearing habitat and a 9-acre wetland complex consisting mostly of the highly invasive reed canary grass (RCG). Just below the culverts is an additional 20 to 25 acres of wetland habitat where Juno Creek proper forms via multiple smaller tributaries. Juno Creek then flows from this wetland complex, under Latimer Rd N., through a culvert that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) replaced to fish passage standards and then empties into the Wilson River low in the system near Tillamook Bay. The project proposes replacing two culverts on the former logging road along with a roughened channel ford. This approach will create a stream crossing with a low flow channel and room for higher flows while also keeping the road drivable for emergency access in cases of fire. This project also proposes a wetland restoration aspect that will involve using large machinery to “scrape” the top 18” of soil to remove as many RCG rhizomes as possible in the vicinity of the new ford and replace with native wetland plants. Supplemental funds and in-kind contributions are from the Tillamook County Creamery Association, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Tillamook Estuaries Partnership.

This project will remove two undersized culverts that have created a fish passage barrier to 0.9 miles of spawning and rearing habitat on Juno Creek, including a valuable historic 9-acre wetland. The current undersized culverts prevent natural stream function, dynamics, and processes such as bedload transport, wood movement, and more. These natural stream functions create habitat types essential for all life stages of salmonids. Replacement of this culvert with a roughened low-water channel ford will restore the stream’s fish passage at all flow levels. Designs for the roughened channel ford will include a low flow channel to ensure passage at summer flows and will also be wide enough to accommodate higher winter flows and heavy rain events. The privately owned roadway will remain closed with a chain link gate and the ford will only be used for emergency vehicle access needs in the case of a forest fire, for example. This project will restore access to the anadromous species that utilize the Wilson River. Additionally, the stream habitat will benefit by reducing chronic fine sediment inputs from the failing culverts. In addition to increasing longitudinal connectivity, wetland restoration actions will be implemented including the removal of the invasive reed canary grass (RCG) directly adjacent to the new ford along with planting of native wetland species. The RCG that has taken over the wetland complex reduces biodiversity and forms a dense monoculture that reduces channel complexity and is not beneficial to wildlife as it is not a source of nutrients. The lack of willow species used as a food source for beavers reduces the likelihood of beaver recolonization and the ecological uplift they provide.