Rhodes Creek Restoration

Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Acquisition

Instream Habitat Riparian Habitat Wetland
Project ID2005-STIL-11
Recovery DomainsPuget Sound
Start Date07/01/2007
End Date12/31/2007
Year2005
StatusCompleted
Last Edited01/14/2025
 
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Description    


In cooperation with the landowners, this project established a fenced buffer on each side of the creeks length as it flows through the horse ranch. Virtually this entire buffer area was excavated down to an average depth of about 2 feet below the surrounding pasture lands. The spoils were hauled and graded to fill the low spots in the pastures that currently trap and strand the most fish. Additional excavations created new meandering portions of stream. Finally, instream LWD was added for habitat and native riparian plants will be planted. These riparian plantings will be maintained for 3 years, and a conservation agreement will be signed with the landowner.

Several years ago, the previous property owner used a backhoe to dredge and excavate the streambed and relocated its course straight as an arrow along the property line. These activities earned him heavy fines and a short stay in jail, establishing for himself (and the creek) a certain level of notoriety that lingers even today amongst the locals. The notoriety of this particular stream endows this cooperative project an additional opportunity for education and outreach. The entire neighborhood will be watching our progress and commenting upon the execution and effectiveness of the project.

This work was done in the dry as, with the exception of one small temporary crossing, no equipment or excavation occured within the bankfull width of the stream. The buffer widths on either side of the stream were first surveyed and flagged. An excavator(s) and dump trucks were used to excavate the buffer areas down to grade. With this accomplished, some additional excavator work roughed in stream meanders on either side of the creek and LWD was placed. When the heavy equipment portion of the job was completed, Rhodes Creek flowed in its present channel- isolated and elevated up to two feet above the newly excavated buffer areas on either side.

We will cut the meander bends to nearly connect with the creek, coming nearest at locations that have proven to see stream breakouts during the wet seasons. We expect that the same heavy rains and streamflows that cause the creek to occasionally sheetflow across the horse ranch will redirect the creek into the newly excavated meander bends. After a season of high flows, we expect that most of the creeks present streambed will be vegetated hummocks in the crooks of bends.

For erosion control, we will seed the entire buffer area with a quick growing annual ryegrass. Additionally a series of straw bale groins will be placed in the meander channels to further detain sediments. Exclusion fencing and riparian plantings will finish the project.

Analysis of historic gravel/sediment accretion rates indicates that the life expectancy of this restoration will be up to 100 years.

Project Benefit    


1) Improves and protects water quality in Rhodes Creek.
2) Improves and protects Puget Sound ESU coho habitat in the creek.
3) Allows for more natural stream processes to occur without negatively impacting fish or water quality.
4) Demonstrates that cooperative efforts are feasible between natural resource agencies and local ranchers.

Accomplishments

Metric Completed Originally
Proposed
Instream Habitat
  Stream Miles Treated .25 .25
Wetland Habitat
  Acres Created .8 .8
  Acres Treated 1.4 1.4
Riparian Habitat
  Stream Miles Treated .50 .50
  Acres Treated 2.6 2.6

Funding Details

SourceFunds
PCSRF$25,478
Report Total:$25,478


Project Map



Worksites

20086777    


  • Worksite Identifier: 20086777
  • Start Date:
  • End Date:
Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

  • Basin: Puget Sound (171100)
  • Subbasin: Stillaguamish (17110008)
  • Watershed:
  • Subwatershed:
  • State: Washington
  • Recovery Domain: Puget Sound
  • Latitude: 48.26524
  • Longitude: -121.937986

ESU

  • Puget Sound/Strait of Georgia Coho Salmon ESU

Map

Photos

Metrics

Metrics
  • C.0 Salmonid Habitat Restoration and AcquisitionY (Y/N)
    •      . . C.0.a Habitat restoration and acquisition funding .00
    •      . . C.0.b Length of stream treated/protected .35
    •      . . C.0.d.3
      Monitoring text (from Phase I)
      On site photogrametric monitoring will confirm that Rhodes Creek remains within its banks. Coho spawner surveys will be done annually for one coho life cycle.
    •      . . C.4 Instream Habitat ProjectY (Y/N)
      •      . . . . C.4.b Total length of instream habitat treated .25
      •      . . . . C.4.e.1 Streambank stabilization Y (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . C.4.e.3 Miles of streambank stabilized .25
      •      . . C.5 Riparian Habitat ProjectY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . C.5.b.1 Total riparian miles streambank treated .50
        •      . . . . C.5.b.2 Total Riparian Acres Treated 2.6
        •      . . . . C.5.h.1 Riparian plant removal/controlY (Y/N)
          •      . . . . . . C.5.h.3 Acres of riparian treated for plant removal/control 2.6
        •      . . C.8 Wetland ProjectY (Y/N)
          •      . . . . C.8.b Total acres of wetland area treated 1.4
          •      . . . . C.8.d.1 Wetland plant removal/controlY (Y/N)
            •      . . . . . . C.8.d.3 Acres of wetland treated .0
          •      . . . . C.8.f.1 Artificial wetland createdY (Y/N)
            •      . . . . . . C.8.f.2 Artificial wetland acres created .8