Whychus Canyon Restoration Project - Phase IIa

The Whychus Canyon Restoration Project - Phase IIa is located along Whychus Creek in Deschutes County downstream of Sisters on property owned by the Deschutes Land Trust (DLT). Much of the project reach provided poor habitat for salmon, steelhead and resident fish because channelization decreased fish habitat, increased channel incision, and eliminated the connection between the stream and the floodplain. Nine acres of floodplain and channel habitat along Whychus Creek have now been restored via three years of planting efforts that included planting both riparian and wetland plants. This work increased wetted area across the valley floor, restored valley wide riparian vegetation, and incorporated much needed woody material across the floodplain, which in turn will provide abundant, diverse and complex instream habitats to benefit all life stages of salmon and steelhead.
The full accomplishments and costs for the project are reflected by aggregating the CRITFC project (19-Warm-01) and this OWEB project, OWEB 220-8200-18653.
PCSRF FFY 2017 and other funds were expended on project costs incurred during the PCSRF FFY 2017 contract award period. OWEB state funds were used to complete the project. Because the project’s scheduled end date is after the PCSRF FFY 2017 award closes, no funds allocated for this project were reported as match to PCSRF funds.

The Restoration grant will help implement a comprehensive restoration design that will address some of the limiting factors to the success of reintroduction efforts in Whychus Creek. Through restoration implementation, specific habitat features will be created and key watershed processes will be restored including floodplain connectivity that will allow dynamic channel movement, sediment and gravel sorting and deposition, raising of the valley wide water table, re- establishment of wet meadow and riparian areas that in composite will allow the habitat created for salmon and steelhead to be resilient and self sustaining over time.