Murderers Creek Phase 2 Design
Salmonid Restoration Planning and Assessments
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OWEB 224-6013-23268 | Middle Columbia River | 04/23/2024 | 10/31/2026 | 2023 | Ongoing | 05/02/2025 | |
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Description
The Murderers Creek watershed covers approximately 84,962 acres and is a tributary to the South Fork John Day River in Grant County, Oregon. The Phase 2 project area is located approximately 5.5 miles upstream of the confluence with the South Fork John Day River. It extends another 2 miles along Murderers Creek to the confluence with the South Fork Murderers Creek, and includes the lower 0.3 miles of Duncan Creek and 0.7 miles along Todd Creek. The property within the project area is owned by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife - Phillip W. Schneider Wildlife Area.
Murderers Creek is part of the John Day River system, one of the last major free-flowing rivers in the Columbia River system and is one of the last to contain wild steelhead with no intentional hatchery inputs. Murderers Creek is the largest of the 5 keystone tributaries used by steelhead within the South Fork subbasin and therefore is very valuable to sustaining or increasing steelhead production. It is also one of the most important tributaries for spawning within the South Fork subbasin and is used by roughly 59% of steelhead that enter the SF John Day River (MCWA, 1997).
The Council just completed the first phase of instream restoration on 2.5 miles of Murderers Creek this past summer including large wood placement, BDAs/PALs, fencing, and riparian planting. This project will build upon previous restoration efforts by designing an additional 3 miles of stream habitat augmentation for Steelhead and juvenile Chinook that addresses key limiting production issues such as juvenile cover, beaver habitat availability, headcuts/passage, floodplain connection, and incision.
Project partners include the South Fork John Day Watershed Council and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Project Benefit
As steelhead decline in Oregon, Murderers Creek is highly essential to sustain steelhead production. Steelhead are drawn to the watershed because of its spawning habitat, water flows in the spring, and relatively adequate late-season-rearing habitat. Native redband trout and Chinook salmon also inhabit the stream (MCWA, 1997).
Design plans from this technical assistance grant will provide a road map to complete more beneficial instream restoration in the Murderers Creek watershed. These designs and future implementation will create improved habitat conditions and expand floodplain connectivity within significant reaches for ESA listed Steelhead for all life stages.
Funding Details |
State | $139,401 |
In-Kind Donated Labor | $400 |
Report Total: | $139,801 |
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Worksites
60936626
- Worksite Identifier: 60936626
- Start Date:
- End Date:
Area Description
No Area Description data was found for this worksite.
Location Information
- Basin: John Day (170702)
- Subbasin:
- Watershed:
- Subwatershed:
- State: Oregon
- Recovery Domain: Middle Columbia River
- Latitude: 44.28785856
- Longitude: -119.4406196
ESU
- Middle Columbia River Steelhead DPS
- Mid-Columbia River Spring-run Chinook Salmon ESU
Map
Photos
Metrics
Metrics
- B.0
Salmonid Restoration Planning and AssessmentsY (Y/N)
- . . B.0.a
Planning And Assessment Funding
- . . B.0.b.1
Area Encompassed
- . . B.1
Restoration Planning And CoordinationY (Y/N)
- . . . . B.1.a
Planning and Coordination funding
- . . . . B.1.b.11
Engineering/design work for restoration projectsY (Y/N)
- . . . . . . B.1.b.11.a
- . . . . . . B.1.b.11.b
Description and scope of the plan implemented | |
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