Coho Salmon Habitat Restoration Implementation - Upper Horse Creek Valley Reach

Objective: Implement construction of off channel habitats including; larger wood structures, off channel ponds and side channels in mile reach of Upper Horse Creek Valley reach.

Background: The Karuk Tribe is currently planning and implementing habitat restoration in collaboration with the Middle Klamath Watershed Council (MKWC), private lands owners, federal and state agencies. Horse Creek is one the highest priority streams and the most utilized spawning tributaries for Coho Salmon in the Middle Klamath River. Private landowner outreach and communication is also an imperative step for implementing in-stream projects in the Middle Klamath River due to mixed ownership therefore coordination with local landowners in Horse Creek was a key planning step. The Upper Horse Valley reach is located entirely on private lands.

Privately owned lands are mostly located in low gradient streams and valleys along the Middle Klamath River including Horse Creek Valley have the highest potential for benefitting Coho Salmon due to their low gradient channels, shallow groundwater and large floodplains. A small spawning population of Coho salmon persists in Horse Creek and spawning surveys have shown signs of increasing numbers since our project team began implementing projects 10 years ago. Outreach to private landowners has enabled our project team to implement off channel pond and in-stream wood placement at multiple locations in Horse Creek since 2015. To date, six off channel pond complexes have been constructed and more are planned including this project. During the past three years the planning team has completed large wood placement in a mile of reach of Upper Horse Creek Valley and implemented a large wood placement project utilizing a helicopter in the upper reaches on 1.5 miles of Horse Creek.

Project Description: This project is fully designed and includes channel realignment, additional side channels and large wood placement in approximately mile of Horse Creek. The project will be implemented collaboratively between the Karuk Tribe and Middle Klamath Watershed Council where each will seek funding from all available sources and combined funding to pay construction contractors, permitting and engineering oversight during the project implementation. Horse Creek is a large tributary with mixed landownership and this project focused on private lands located in the upper part of the lower gradient valley reach.

The project design utilize groundwater monitoring well data, used existing LiDAR data and ground trothing at the implementation sites with specialists including; engineers, fish biologists, geologists and other restoration practitioners. The project design was initiated in 2016 and was completed in 2023 and now project implementation is planned for 2025 or 2026.

Project Benefits: Mid Klamath River tributaries are important habitat for threatened Coho Salmon which are an important cultural species and subsistence food source for the Karuk Tribe. Studies show that juvenile Coho salmon need access to slow water habitat during the winter to find stable rearing habitat during floods. Conversely, Coho need access to cold water during the summer months when water temperatures are stressful therefore our goal is to increase connectivity to groundwater influenced habitats. The project will build side channels and off channel ponds with consideration of connectivity to groundwater and furthermore incorporate groundwater recharge in to the designs by spreading more water on to the floodplain and valley floor of Horse Creek. Groundwater influenced habitats are known to be more resilient to impacts related to climate change.