Middle Thirtymile LTPBR

The Middle Thirtymile Creek Low-Tech, Process-Based Restoration (LTPBR) project is located on Thirtymile Creek, a tributary of the John Day River, which ultimately drains into the Columbia River. The project site is situated approximately 6 miles southwest of Condon in Gilliam County, Oregon, about 12 miles upstream from the creeks mouth. This restoration effort addresses critical watershed issues, including the quality and quantity of native fish habitat, particularly for juvenile steelhead populations. This project involves the installation of 92 Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs) and 45 Post-Assisted Log Structures (PALS) across a six-mile stretch of the riverscape. These interventions are part of a broader watershed-scale restoration initiative that has been underway since 2020, during which over 12 miles of Thirtymile Creek have been treated with LTPBR methods. Key project partners include the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Department of State Lands (DSL).

The Middle Thirtymile Low-Tech, Process-Based Restoration (LTPBR) project aims to enhance a critical six-mile stretch of Thirtymile Creek in Gilliam County, Oregon. This project is part of a larger watershed-scale restoration effort with the goal of improving habitat quality and quantity for juvenile threatened Mid-Columbia River steelhead; supporting the expansion of beaver activity within the watershed; increasing the proportion of the valley bottom composed of active channel and floodplain; and enhancing wetland and riparian vegetation extent, diversity, and abundance. Installing beaver dam analogs and post-assisted log structures will enhance natural hydrologic, geomorphic, and biological processes to accelerate the recovery of this degraded stream.