North Beaver Creek Riparian Restoration

North Beaver Creek lies within the 32,000 acre, 5th field watershed in Lincoln County near the town of Seal Rock. Its headwaters are located within the protected Siuslaw National Forest and it joins South Beaver Creek one mile from its ocean terminus in Ona Beach State Park. Despite the protections in the headwaters and on private and state protected areas near its mouth, agricultural practices in the intervening low gradient stream reaches have degraded habitat for federally listed coho salmon and other aquatic organisms. Streams have been channelized and straightened, wetlands drained, riparian trees removed, and non-native species have become dominant. Accordingly, water quality is poor in these reaches and cover is limited. This project is part of an effort to improve floodplain and riparian conditions in this basin. This project will focus on the furthest downstream property and will remove invasive species and plant native trees and shrubs in the riparian and wetland areas. Enrollment of this project property in the Conservation Reserve and Easement Program (CREP) shows that the landowners are committed to conservation management. Project partners include private landowners, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Because the projects scheduled end date is after the PCSRF FFY 2019 award closes, no funds allocated for this project are reported as match to PCSRF funds

The planting of conifers (cedar and spruce), encouraging of beaver activity (planting willows), and removal of invasive reed canary grass are recognized management recommendations for private properties in the Beaver Creek Watershed (USFS Siuslaw NF Watershed Analysis, Beaver Creek, 2001). These activities will help shade the stream to decrease water temperatures, provide a long-term source for large wood recruitment to restore stream complexity, bring back an ecosystem engineer to the landscape, curb stream bank erosion and arrest further channel incision. Establishment of native vegetation immediately along and overhanging the stream will also restore habitat for terrestrial insect species, a vital portion of the diet of juvenile salmon during certain times of year.