Lower Buck Creek Habitat Enhancement Design

Buck Creek is a significant tributary to the White Salmon River, upstream of former Condit Dam, and is being recolonized by steelhead, coho, and potentially Chinook and Bull trout. A privately-owned floodplain at 45.782423, -121.517876 is currently cut-off from access to fish by a boulder dike, and several headcuts are forming across the floodplain.

Underwood Conservation District worked with landowners and stakeholders to assess feasibility of appropriate restoration concepts and coordinated the design discussions and alternatives analysis aimed at reconnecting the disengaged floodplain to increase off-channel rearing and refuge for adult and juvenile salmonids. Activities over the grant period involved multiple site visits and meetings with landowners and County road dept. staff (two counties own roads adjacent to the project site), a community meeting to efficiently share information and gather feedback on potential project alternatives, site surveying, mapping and modeling to assess design concept feasibility, development of an alternatives analysis and conceptual designs, and continued landowner communications to convey project concepts and gather feedback.

Due to concerns from two landowners involved in the project, we were unable to proceed with any design alternative within the scope of the grant. A landowner upstream is open to installing large wood on the mainstem of Buck Creek which could help activate disconnected side channels; this could be pursued in a future project proposal. Unfortunately, we were unable to continue with project development, design and permitting as planned in the grant scope.

Same as Current Agreement. However, we were unable to fulfill the goal and expected benefits.