Lower Ochoco Creek Fish Passage

The Crooked River Watershed Council, working with the Prineville Golf Club (PGC), developed a restoration project with the purpose of providing fish passage and increased habitat benefit at an existing diversion dam on Ochoco Creek which the PGC uses to irrigate their private nine-hole golf course. The project is located on lower Ochoco Creek, a tributary of the Crooked River, near the City of Prineville, Crook County Oregon. The 0.44-acre project area begins at river Mile 8.6 (44.299593 - 120.759479) ending approximately 272 feet downstream at river mile 8.57 (44.299389 -120.758286) flowing east to west. The PGC is operating the structure under Oregon Water Resource Department (OWRD), Water Rights 1944 Certificate 82271. Circa 1994, the old dam structure was replaced with the current concrete dam with wooden flashboards. The dam does not allow for adequate fish passage, with jump heights that do not meet the current Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife criteria for fish passage, OAR 635-412-0010 through 635-412-0040. The dam is disconnected from any water intake system and does not have a fish screen. In 2015, The CRWC and PGC Board of Directors, with input from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, reviewed three alternative plans to meet fish and aquatic organism passage needs at the site. Criteria considered from the ODFW Fish Passage Program and the PGC Board of Directors resulted in selection of the design concept for a grade control roughened riffle as the best fit for passage, ecological reference reach needs, and landowner (PGC)operational needs. Project activities include removal of a diversion dam, bank stabilization, construction of a grade control roughened riffle, placement of large wood instream, and planting in the wetland and riparian areas. The project will result in increased functional values for riparian habitat, wetland habitat and volitional fish passage for chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), an ESA, Section 10 (J) listed experimental population of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdnerii), large scale suckers (Catostomus macrocheilus), cyprinids (minnows), and aquatic organisms.

This project will provide access to approximately 2.25 miles of habitat for anadromous fish, including access to cold water downstream of Ochoco Dam.

Providing passage at barriers in the lower Crooked River is paramount to supporting reintroduction of anadromous fish species. Without viable passage habitat status and quality are moot because the fish have no access . The council has placed high priority on fish barriers and providing passage over habitat work knowing access is the key first sequential step in successful reintroduction- must get the fish into the habitat first.