West Fork Evans Creek Tributaries Enhancement Project

The West Fork Evans Watershed Tributary Enhancement Project seeks to expand the geographic scope of a previous project (OWEB 219-2032-16692) through additional LWD placements in tributaries to the West Fork Evans Creek sub-basin of the upper Rogue River. Specifically, we aim to improve spawning and rearing habitat for adult and juvenile salmonids along approximately two miles of Rock, Battle, and Salt Creeks. This project is proposed for lands owned and managed by Lone Rock Resources and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The project proposes to enhance instream habitat complexity through installation of large wood structures. The project outcomes will increase spawning success and juvenile survival rates and contribute to long term viability of native fish populations. Project Partners include Lone Rock Resources, BLM, and Valleys of the Rogue WC.

The proposed project will benefit native fish species of Rock, Battle, and Salt Creeks. Additionally, the project will foster an overall ecological lift, providing both instream and riparian system benefits for a variety of additional species. NOAAs SONCC Recovery Plan identifies West Fork of Evans Creek a core area and is specifically listed as the highest priority for restoration under the plan. It states “The greatest factor limiting recovery of coho salmon in the Upper Rogue River is the lack of suitable rearing habitat for juveniles. The processes that create and maintain such habitat must be restored by restoring flow, increasing habitat complexity within the channel, restoring off-channel rearing areas, and reducing threats to instream habitat (p32-24).” Thus, this project helps to addresses a primary limiting factor in the recovery of the Upper Rogue Coho Salmon population. This project’s timely implementation is important as “lack of suitable rearing habitat for juveniles” in the headwaters of Evans Creek is identified as an “immediate need for habitat restoration and threat reduction.” (SONCC-URR.8.1.1). The primary benefit to salmon and steelhead resulting from project implementation is an increase in the quality and quantity of juvenile rearing habitat for summer and winter rearing fish. Adding LWD to stream channels encourages floodplain re-connection and off-channel habitat --especially for coho salmon. LWD also encourages pool development and provides hiding cover for rearing summer parr; and is also important for accrual and storage of spawning substrates. Finally, adding LWD and the resulting accrual of stream substrates helps raise water surface elevations during high flow events. This project capitalizes on momentum generated by past projects in Evans Creek and the upper Rogue River. In 2013, two large dams on mainstem Evans Creek were removed to provide unimpeded volitional fish passage to upstream habitats. In 2009, Savage Rapids Dam was removed from the mainstem Rogue River downstream of Evans Creek to provide unimpeded volitional fish passage to upstream habitats, including the project area. Multiple large wood treatments, riparian treatments, and recreation management actions have also been implemented in West Fork Evans over the past decade.