Lower Ohop Creek Restoration, Phase 1

Ohop Creek is a Nisqually River tributary located in Pierce County Washington, near Eatonville. It supports stocks of Fall Chinook, coho and pink salmon, steelhead, and resident trout species. Evaluation of multi-species salmon habitat needs in the Nisqually watershed have ranked lower Ohop Creek one of the highest priority freshwater habitats for restoration. Funded by a previous SRFB grant, a restoration plan for lower Ohop Creek was developed which summarizes habitat conditions in the project reach and evaluates restoration alternatives. Using that assessment, the most comprehensive restoration alternative has been selected and engineering designs developed. The landowners in the project reach are all supportive of this option.

The project area included lands purchased by the Nisqually Land Trust using SRFB grants from previous rounds to ensure their availability for this proposed project. Phase I of this project re-elevated 4.4 miles of severely channelized creek back into its original floodplain recreating a 5.3 mile long stream with its original meander pattern and restoring its hydrologic connection to the adjacent floodplain and wetland areas. Off-channel habitat was created and the riparian areas were planted with native vegetation. This grant will support implementation of about a mile of reconstructed stream in Phase I. Phase I will be implemented in 2007.

The goal of the project is to improve instream morphology and habitat in salmon bearing streams. The objective of the project is to increase instream cover, spawning, and resting areas.