Pine Creek Watershed Fine Sediment Abatement Hoopa Valley Reservation

Project Objective: Address fine sediment impacts identified in the 2019 Pine Creek Watershed Assessment funded by FRGP.



Project Description: Fine sediment inputs from upslope areas can impact stream health and fish redd success. Flood events, combined with past land management activities conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and naturally occurring landslides, resulted in many failed road systems which altered stream channels and riparian areas and negatively impacted spawning and rearing habitat. While practices have improved significantly and substantial habitat recovery has occurred, there are still problem sediment sources and instream habitat deficiencies that are likely limiting recovery. In 2019 Hoopa Fisheries and Pacific Watershed Associates completed a watershed assessment for the Pine Creek Drainage to catalog those potential sources and finalized the report in 2019. An outcome of that assessment was a prioritized list of issues to address to prevent fine sediment from stream crossings, landslides and relief culverts. This project proposes to address five issues listed in the Watershed assessment which would prevent significant volumes of fine sediments from reaching the stream. The selected actions address stream crossing issues and will follow the recommended prescription for treatment in the watershed assessment. These protocols are described in the California Salmonid Stream Habitat Restoration Manual, Chapter 3 (CDFG, 2010).

Project Benefits: SONCC in the lower Klamath River are identified in the Recovery Plan as being at high risk of extinction. Restoration of tributary habitat for both natal and non-natal SONCC is therefore of great importance. Pine Creek provides year-round flows of cool water into the Klamath River. Both non-natal and natal juvenile SONCC as well as adults utilize Pine Creek. This proposed project is expected to support increases in survival and growth of Coho as well as the other native anadromous salmonids.