Lower Coquille Strategic Implementation Area: Bear Creek Riparian Restoration

Bear Creek is a tributary of the Coquille Basin that enters the Coquille Estuary at River Mile (RM) 8.4 near Bandon, OR. The Bear Creek Watershed provides habitat for ESA-listed coho salmon (Oregon Coast ESU), fall Chinook salmon, winter steelhead, Pacific lamprey, and coastal cutthroat trout. Historic log drives, riparian clearing, stream ditching, and unrestricted livestock grazing have resulted in a present-day degraded riparian ecosystem, a simplified stream channel, and poor water quality in the lower reaches of the subbasin. The goal of the project is to improve aquatic habitat and water quality for rearing coho salmon, along with benefits to other species including amphibian and waterfowl. This Grant will provide funding for Coos SWCD capacity to complete the following:
• contract a qualified engineer to design a wetland enhancement project that will increase the quality and connectivity of winter rearing habitat for juvenile coho salmon in a 2-acre seasonal pond that currently poses a stranding risk to juvenile salmonids.
• produce permit-level project designs to restore ecological function to 15.67 acres of currently degraded riparian and floodplain habitat along 2.45 miles of Bear Creek, a tributary to the Coquille River
• perform initial Tribal and regulatory consultations,
• complete cultural resource surveys, reporting, and produce an inadvertent discovery plan
• obtain all required permits
This is the highest priority restoration project for the Lower Coquille River Strategic Implementation Area (SIA), which is a partnership between the Coos Soil and Water Conservation District, the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Additionally, the Bear Creek Watershed has been identified as a high priority for restoration in the Coho Strategic Action Plan that is currently being developed by the Wild Salmon Center and conservation partners in the Coquille Basin.

The Lower Coquille Strategic Implementation Area: Bear Creek Riparian Restoration project aims to restore degraded riparian habitat in the Bear Creek watershed, specifically targeting habitat improvement for ESA-listed coho salmon and other salmonids such as fall Chinook and winter steelhead. The goals include enhancing water quality and aquatic habitat, particularly by restoring riparian vegetation, excluding livestock from Bear Creek, and re-engineering a wetland to prevent salmon stranding and improve vital rearing habitat. This project will benefit salmonids by creating more complex and accessible habitats, improving degraded water quality, and ensuring healthier ecosystems that will help increase survival and the growth rates of juvenile salmonids.