Log Springs Meadow Restoration Phase II-III

Historically, the Log Springs Meadow area provided important food sources for the Tribes. Deer, elk, and food plants were abundant throughout the meadow system. However, chronic overgrazing has been present within the meadow since the 1940’s. Consequently, streambanks in the meadow began to erode, stream channels became incised, and downstream spawning conditions in Beaver Creek deteriorated. In the 1970’s the Bureau of Indian Affairs acknowledged the issue and came with a plan to address the degraded conditions. Their solution at the time was to construct three large berms across the entire meadow surface. Over time, these structures have backed up water, inundated floodplains, and maintained some elements of the historic wet meadow system. However, the berms forced a historically branching network of small channel and swales into just one or two channels, thereby concentrating stream flow and power. The berms have eliminated multiple flow paths that were dissipating energy and partitioning flows. The few remaining stream channels have head cut through the meadow system as a result of high velocities from concentrated stream flows. As a result, the floodplain has become disconnected, stream power has increased, water retention and infiltration decreased, and streambanks eroded. These conditions persist and continue to affect spawning conditions for spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead downstream in lower Beaver Creek via the contribution of excessive levels of fine sediment





The Log Springs Meadow Project within the Coyote Creek Subwatershed has two primary objectives. Objective one is to improve habitat conditions downstream for ESA listed salmonids in Beaver Creek by increasing sediment retention and water holding capacity of the meadow. The second objective of the project is to restore culturally signification plant food in the meadow that have declined as a result of disturbance and degradation.





Riparian fencing has been constructed and livestock have been excluded from the project area during Phase I of this effort. Overall, grazing pressure within the watershed has been dramatically reduced. With grazing reduced, a project to address the poor condition of the meadow has been initiated. Due to COVID-19 restrictions delaying construction in 2020 and wildlife restrictions reducing the construction window in 2021, implementation and completion of Phase I of the project was completed in the fall of 2022. Funding from PCSRF will go to support Phase II and III of this expansive meadow restoration project.





Specific instream habitat restoration work to occur under this project are as follows:





* Channel re-configuration to connect to 2 miles (168 acres) of off-channel habitat



* 35 engineered structures( beaver dam analogs and check structures) placed along 1.4 of stream length



* Stabilization with vegetation planting along 2 miles of stream bank





The long term commitment to restoration at this site and sequenced future phasing provides the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of applied restoration treatments and to make subtle improvements to those treatments based on their performance in Phase I, and subsequent phases of the project. This approach has proven useful, including in meadow restoration efforts where sometimes subtle adjustments to treatments based on monitoring or observed effectiveness result in more successful restoration. The Construction plans and Basis of Design Report have been developed in a manner to facilitate this type of approach.

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.