Big Creek Floodplain Restoration

The planned restoration work is on Big Creek, an ocean tributary flowing directly into the Pacific Ocean, about 10 miles south of the town of Yachats. The project includes about 0.6 stream miles and 16 floodplain acres upstream from where Big Creek crosses under Highway 101 within Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park. The site has been degraded by land clearing and grazing, stream straightening, removal of large wood from the stream, invasion by Japanese knotweed, floodplain fill, and over two feet of stream incision. These actions have greatly impacted instream complexity, floodplain and wetland connectivity, and riparian vegetation; all factors that limit Oregon Coast Coho (OCC) and other salmonid production. This proposed restoration project seeks to improve instream, floodplain, and wetland function. Project activities include floodplain grading, floodplain fill removal, placement of large woody debris, and spawning gravel placement.The increased large wood loading will further increase connectivity and side channel development over time. A wetland swale will be created to link two existing wetland areas currently separated by an ODOT landing site, and r iparian planting and seeding will improve the functioning of the riparian zone Project partners include OPRD, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, US Forest Service, Siuslaw SWCD, Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians.

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.

This project will directly address the OCC Recovery Plans call to increase stream complexity and floodplain connectivity through floodplain fill removal and grading, large wood (instream and floodplain) placements and installation of beaver dam anchors. The habitat features will increase connectivity, channel complexity and floodplain interaction by allowing natural stream meandering, creation of pools and active sorting of spawning gravels. Planting a diverse suite of native species will increase shading and microclimate effects to reduce stream temperature, filter excess nutrients, create habitat for terrestrial and aquatic insects used as food by salmonids, and provide a long-term source large wood recruitment on the project reach.