Catherine Creek Kinsley Campground Correction

The Kinsley Campground Correction project is located on private land approximately 3 miles Southeast and upstream of Union, Oregon on Catherine Creek (R.M 42.8-43.3) in the Upper Grande Ronde Subbasin. The project legal description is Township 4 South, Range 40 East, Section 28.

In the middle of the Kinsley property reach is an area managed as a family campground and gathering place. Past management of this area by the landowners utilized rock rip-rap as streambank protection. During the planning efforts for the 2015 CC44 Phase IV Project, the District had many discussions with the landowners about removing the rock to encourage natural regeneration of stream side vegetation, but at the time of construction the owners did not trust that the thalweg could be moved to the valley left and away from the rip-rap bank. The 2015 project was successful in moving the channel thalweg to valley left.

As a result of the 2015 restoration activities that moved the thalweg away from the rip-rap bank, the channel thalweg downstream of the rip-rap migrated north to the right streambank, eroded the depositional bar formation, and is now threatening to undercut the right streambank The District developed the design product for this project to correct this issue and further enhance aquatic habitat at the site. The project was designed to add 8-10 whole trees to the gravel bar that has developed above the campground area, encouraging deposition, allowing the removal of more of the rip-rap material, and enabling riparian planting of the area. The boulders placed during the 2015 construction will be repurposed as habitat boulders downstream. One large wood structure will be added to redirect flow away from the right bank and increase the pool development on river left.

The goal of this technical assistance proposal was to produce implementation ready designs which included: habitat and topographic surveys, a construction cost estimate with 100% designs, a DSL/COE Joint Permit, ESA clearance, Section 106 Cultural clearance, Section 401 Water Quality clearance, and a Revegetation Plan. Project Partners included funding sources through OWEB; review team members representing CTUIR, GRMW, ODFW; and the landowner.

The project complements completed and on-going fish habitat enhancement activities in the Catherine Creek watershed. The project area is within historic ESA listed Salmonid high priority spawning, rearing, and over- wintering habitat. ODFW fish monitoring and USBR Tributary Assessment studies indicate a lack of in-stream complexity and fish habitat, particularly in the Middle Catherine Creek reach area from the confluence of Pyles Creek upstream to the North and South Forks of Catherine Creek. The completed project area will further sustain steelhead, Chinook and Bull trout, as well as other species. Specific project benefits include:

• Potential increased summer base flow conditions and decreased summer high water temperatures.
• Increased winter temperatures with increased hyporheic connectivity and improved riparian and floodplain conditions.
• Improved distribution and sorting of sediment and potentially increased sediment storage at controlled locations.
• Engineered LWM structures will maintain the desired channel configuration and increase in-stream habitat complexity.
• Increased in-channel complexity and diversity with a distribution of large pools, glides, runs, and riffles of various sizes and complexity.
• Long-term increase LWM recruitment from near non-existent conditions through re-vegetation of native willow, cottonwood, alder, shrubs and grass plantings. The additional vegetation will also add stability to stream banks and decrease erosion and sediment loads into the creek
• The removal of approximately 100 feet of non-native rip-rap
• Riparian plantings and enclosure riparian fencing will increase wildlife habitat created within the project area.
• Conservation easements will continue to protect the project and allow planted vegetation to mature.