Chimney Rock Creek Upslope Watershed and Instream Habitat Restoration Project

Instream (HI): Using 201 key logs generated on-site, 53 in-stream large wood features were constructed along a 1.7- mile reach of Chimney Rock Creek. 39 of the features were constructed solely using heavy equipment, 13 features were constructed by directly felling timber into the channel (Accelerated Recruitment), and 1 feature utilized a combination of heavy equipment and Accelerated Recruitment to construct the feature.

Upslope (HU): In total, approximately 2.3 miles of high-priority streamside and inner gorge road was decommissioned by removing fill and stabilizing 13 degrading stream crossings, 20 unstable fillslopes and 1 bank erosion site. Road surfaces were decompacted and hydrologically disconnected to restore natural hydrologic function. A total of 34 features were treated to largely eliminate their potential to deliver approximately 11,400 yd3 of sediment to Chimney Rock Creek.

Implementation of this project will directly benefit CCC Coho Salmon by enhancing the quality of instream habitats for all life stages in Chimney Rock Creek. Instream large wood is known to assist with sorting and storage of stream gravels, as well as pool formation associated with bed scour. Studies have shown that pool formation associated with large wood can increase the quality and quantity of instream habitats for salmonids, which has been positively linked to survival rates. This project will reduce sediment delivery from a legacy riparian/inner gorge logging road system and normalize the lower hillslope hydrology along Chimney Rock Creek. By reducing both chronic and episodic sediment delivery to the stream system, and normalizing the hillside hydrology, this project will greatly accelerate the natural recovery of anadromous fish in the watershed.