Log Springs Meadow Restoration II

Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Acquisition

Instream Habitat Riparian Habitat
Project ID18-Warm-01
Recovery DomainsMiddle Columbia River
Start Date05/01/2020
End Date02/22/2024
Year2018
StatusTerminated
Last Edited03/14/2024
 
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Description    


Coyote Creek is tributary to lower Beaver Creek (a tributary of the Warm Springs River) and is a significant contributor of stream flow during runoff periods. There are no fish present within the project area, Log Springs Meadow. However, the current environmental conditions within the area have contributed to poor downstream spawning conditions in Beaver Creek for Middle Columbia River ESU spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead through excessive amounts of fine sediments entering from the Coyote Creek subwatershed, specifically the Log Springs Meadow area. Increases in fine sediment lead to greater substrate embeddedness and a decrease in interstitial spaces in gravel substrate important for salmonid spawning. Successful salmonid egg incubation requires clean gravels with low fine sediment content. The primary purpose of the project was to reduce erosion and delivery of fine sediments to important spawning and rearing habitats downstream in Beaver Creek.



The project area consists of a large open meadow and young, even-aged ponderosa pine trees in the uplands. There are three existing berms within the meadow. Only the “upper berm” and “lower berm” will be removed/contoured as part of this project; work on the “east berm” will be undertaken in the future; all other project elements will occur throughout the entirety of the meadow. The berms were installed about 40 years ago to control flow and sedimentation downstream of Coyote Creek. The berms and associated structures are showing signs of massive flanking and downstream erosion. Stream channels downstream of the berms are overly deepened, widened and disconnected from the floodplain. Stream channels show evidence of livestock damage: destroyed or reduced vegetation and trampled banks. All contributing factors have had adverse effects on the surrounding ecosystem, which is capable of producing food plants important to the Native American culture, such as camas and Lomatium spp.



This proposed project was designed to complement the Warm Springs Tribe (WST) PCSRF #16-Warm-03 Log Springs Meadow Restoration I project. The WST used some of the funds towards construction costs that werent covered under the 2016 project.



This project was only partially completed with a significant reduction in scope of work and was terminated in March 2024. Project was delayed multiple times due to weather conditions – both extreme wet/rain and extreme dry conditions limiting access to the site – and was partially completed in 2022. Challenges with project implementation were further compounded by several staff transitions during the multi-year implementation window. Completed project elements include the installation of four meadow plugs, three headcut repairs, and one grade control structure.

Project Benefit    


About 25% of the total amount of spring Chinook spawning and 20% of summer steelhead spawning occurs in Beaver Creek downstream of the confluence with Coyote Creek (project area, Log Springs, is in the upper watershed). A significant amount of fine sediment enters Beaver Creek during runoff from Coyote Creek. It is believed that the majority of the sediment is being produced within the project area and above. Thus, the primary expected benefit to target salmonid species in an overall reduction of streambed sedimentation downstream of the confluence, ultimately increasing emergence success and egg to fry survival of target salmonids.

Accomplishments

Metric Completed Originally
Proposed
Instream Habitat
  Stream Miles Treated .40 3.40
Riparian Habitat
  Stream Miles Treated .00 2.00
  Acres Treated .0 100.0

Funding Details

SourceFunds
PCSRF$115,887
Other$147,294
Report Total:$263,181


Project Map



Worksites

Log Springs Meadow    


  • Worksite Identifier: Log Springs Meadow
  • Start Date: 05/01/2020
  • End Date: 11/30/2020
Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

  • Basin: Deschutes (170703)
  • Subbasin: Lower Deschutes (17070306)
  • Watershed: Beaver Creek (1707030605)
  • Subwatershed: Coyote Creek (170703060502)
  • State: Oregon
  • Recovery Domain: Middle Columbia River
  • Latitude: 45.029
  • Longitude: -121.4152

ESU

  • Mid-Columbia River Spring-run Chinook Salmon ESU
  • Middle Columbia River Steelhead DPS

Map

Photos

Metrics

Metrics
  • C.0 Salmonid Habitat Restoration and AcquisitionY (Y/N)
    •      . . C.0.a Habitat restoration and acquisition funding 263,181.00
    •      . . C.0.b Length of stream treated/protected .40
    •      . . C.0.c
      Project identified in a Plan or Watershed Assessment
      Sheahan Alonso, J. 2014. Beaver Creek Watershed Assessment and Plan. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon – Branch of Natural Resources.
    •      . . C.0.d.1 Project Monitoring (LOV)
    •      . . C.0.d.2 Monitoring Location (LOV)
    •      . . C.4 Instream Habitat ProjectY (Y/N)
      •      . . . . C.4.a Instream Habitat Funding 263,181.00
      •      . . . . C.4.b Total length of instream habitat treated .40
      •      . . . . C.4.c.1 Channel reconfiguration and connectivityY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . C.4.c.2 Type of change to channel configuration and connectivity (LOV)
        •      . . . . . . C.4.c.3 Miles of stream treated for channel reconfiguration and connectivity .40
        •      . . . . . . C.4.c.4 Miles of off-channel stream created through channel reconfiguration and connectivity .00
        •      . . . . . . C.4.c.5 Acres of off-channel or floodplain connected through channel reconfiguration and connectivity 3.0
        •      . . . . . . C.4.c.6 Instream pools created/added through channel reconfiguration and connectivity 0
      •      . . C.5 Riparian Habitat ProjectY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . C.5.a Riparian Habitat Funding .00
        •      . . . . C.5.b.1 Total riparian miles streambank treated .00
        •      . . . . C.5.b.2 Total Riparian Acres Treated .0
        •      . . . . C.5.c.1 Riparian plantingY (Y/N)
          •      . . . . . . C.5.c.2
            Species of plants planted in riparian
            None
          •      . . . . . . C.5.c.3 Acres planted in riparian .0