Bear Creek Instream Habitat Enhancement Project

The purpose of the project was to accelerate fisheries recovery by installing 189 key logs throughout a 1.9 mile reach of Bear Creek to

develop more frequent and deeper pools, create complex cover, high velocity refuge, sort gravel substrate, and increase wood loading densities to improve habitat for all life stages of salmonids. A total of 215 key logs were installed at 49 feature locations. Twenty-nine (29) features were constructed using heavy equipment, 16 were placed by direct felling into channel (Accelerated

Recruitment), and five (5) constructed by a combination of heavy equipment and Accelerated Recruitment. All logs/w rootwads were at least 1.5 times bankfull width and logs/ wo rootwads were 2 times bankfull. Logs that did not meet key log criteria were wedged into existing live trees or within the key logs.

The Project will increase habitat complexity, density of large wood (LW), and improve pool frequency and depth in the project reach by increasing the overall density of key LW pieces from 133 pieces/mile to 233 pieces/mile.