Large Restoration Project Completed Provides salmon access to 16 miles of high quality habitat blocked since 1957

North Creek, viewing downstream of the new culvert.

This summer a large open-bottom culvert was put in place on North Creek, a tributary to Drift Creek in the Siletz River Basin that will allow Chinook and coho salmon, along with steelhead, coastal cutthroat, lamprey, freshwater mussels, and other aquatic organisms to freely access sixteen miles of stream and wetland habitat in North Creek for the first time in 62 years.  Habitat above the culvert is managed by the Siuslaw National Forest as a “late successional reserve” meaning that it is managed to provide older forest habitat conditions.  According to Leah Tai, Siuslaw National Forest Hydrologist, these older forest characteristics provide excellent stream conditions as well. “North Creek has cold, clean water and lots of large trees that have fallen into the stream,” Tai explains. “These logs in turn provide cover for juvenile fish, slow water to collect spawning gravels, and create deep pools that provide refuge for both juvenile and adult fish.”

ODOT, MCWC, and USFS personnel view the placement of stream simulation under the new culvert to ensure they meet the engineered designs, meant to mimic a natural streambed.

The project, which began with extensive grant writing and fundraising in 2015, was managed by the MidCoast Watersheds Council (MCWC) in close coordination with the United States Forest Service (USFS).  Many more collaborators assisted with funding, including the USFS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fish Passage Program, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, the joint Oregon Department of TransportationOregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Fish Passage Program, Trout Unlimited, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as well as a crowdfunding campaign organized by the Native Fish Society.  About $900,000 was spent on this project. It removed the old, severely undersized and rusted-through culvert and replaced it with an appropriately sized, open-bottomed structure. Unlike the old structure, the new culvert was designed so that it won’t create a velocity or passage barrier to fish and other animals, or to the downward transport of gravel and large wood, which will also improve Chinook spawning downstream.  In addition to these ecological benefits, the culvert replacement allows for safe transport to and from popular forest recreation areas and Drift Creek Camp.Monitoring work is now underway to document changes and outcomes with additional help from Oregon Coast Community College’s Freshwater Habitats course and Trout Unlimited. 

Installation of the last few segments of the new culvert.

Before road construction in 1958, small boulders, cobble, gravel, and large woody debris settled near the mouth of North Creek during large storm events. This created excellent salmon spawning and rearing habitat, and a home for a genetically distinct population of Chinook salmon. However, construction of Forest Road 1790 resulted in an inadequate culvert placed 750 feet above the confluence of North Creek with Drift Creek. This resulted in scour below the culvert, creating water velocities and a vertical jump too large for most fish and restricting the downward flow of the materials needed for spawning.   As a result, high water velocity through the undersized culvert eroded stream cobble and gravel, leaving exposed bedrock instead of Chinook spawning areas.  In 1961, the Oregon Fish Commission identified the North Creek culvert as a fish passage problem. Over the years, engineered fish passage improvement projects were attempted but all failed. Storm flows destroyed concrete lined pools below the culvert outlet in the early 1960's. Concrete weirs built in 1982 were unsuccessful even with modifications and the addition of boulders and large wood. Adult Chinook salmon have not been seen in North Creek for decades, and environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis conducted by Trout Unlimited in 2018 detected no Pacific lamprey—an ESA listed species—above the culvert.

Removal of a large amount of fill from the road surface above the old culvert was required prior to its removal.

Evan Hayduk, Watershed Coordinator for MCWC, managed the project.  “It was amazing that after years of preparation and planning and fundraising, the work was actually done relatively quickly in a few months this summer,” says Hayduk. “Before removing the undersized 12 ft culvert and the dysfunctional concrete weirs, we had to first re-route the creek and rescue any fish so they didn’t get stranded.. All of that work was finished by the end of June. Then we installed the new huge 50 ft wide, 15 ft high, open-bottomed culvert in early August.”  Other tasks completed during the summer included the installation of natural boulders and cobble in the streambed (called stream simulation), the seeding of native plants in disturbed areas, and the re-grading of Road 1790, which took place in September and early October. “We’re just about wrapped up now, with final construction clean-up work being done,” Hayduk continues, “fishermen and the Drift Creek Camp folks are happy to get back their access--They’ll all like the healthier salmon returns we soon hope to see too.”

Directly after the old culvert was removed.

This fall, students in Oregon Coast Community College’s Freshwater Habitats course will visit the North Creek restoration site six times to determine how the stream simulation changes as it faces its first storm events and identify how organisms like salmon and aquatic insects respond to the newly opened channel. In addition, volunteers with Trout Unlimited will continue eDNA sampling at 13 locations in the North Creek Watershed for two more years to determine the presence of difficult-to-survey target species such as lamprey and freshwater mussels. The efforts of these community partners will be complemented by stream temperature monitoring for three years by the USFS and the Environmental Protection Agency. The data resulting from monitoring work is expected to serve as an example for future large-scale aquatic organism passage projects.

View of the new 50 ft wide, 15 ft high culvert from inside.

How large wood and beaver restoration can improve streams and create resilient watersheds

Across North America, rivers have been simplified and degraded by the systematic and widespread removal of beaver and large woody debris (LWD). Many streams are now no more than deep channels that don’t spread out floodwaters or create good salmon habitat.  Consequently, one of the major goals of the MidCoast Watersheds Council’s work and that of other similar groups and agencies is to restore the natural processes that large wood and beavers used to create.  To effect meaningful salmon restoration, it is important to learn how to do this work over a large scale and lower cost. NOAA’s Research Fisheries Biologist, Dr. Chris Jordan, will discuss low-tech, “process-based” restoration methods at the November 7th MidCoast Watersheds Council Community Meeting in Newport.

Historically, beaver dams and large woody debris were ubiquitous throughout North American rivers.  Beavers often built their dams on large logs that would be stable even through winter storms. Their dams exerted a major influence on streams by elevating water tables, capturing sediments and slowing waters so the stream channels could overflow the banks, into wetlands and floodplains to reduce downstream flooding, and conversely increasing flows during periods of drought. Large woody debris has been shown to similarly influence water flow and sediment and erosional processes. Salmon evolved under these conditions, with both the wood and beaver dams creating ideal fish spawning and rearing habitat.

Dr. Jordan will emphasize two types of efficient low-tech structures that are being installed in streams to achieve restoration goals. Placing multiple structures in complexes within a stream system in ways designed to mimic natural processes begins the process of rebuilding and sustaining good habitat.  These simple structures are called beaver dam analogues (BDAs) and post-assisted log structures (PALS). BDAs are channel-spanning, permeable structures, constructed using woody debris and willow or tree branches, to form ponds that mimic natural beaver dams and to attract beavers to maintain them. PALS are woody material of various sizes pinned together with wooden posts driven into the substrate to simulate natural wood accumulations and that capture additional wood over time. The goal of both structure placements is to achieve dynamic, self-sustaining and resilient habitat conditions.  

Dr. Chris Jordan is a Research Fisheries Biologist with NOAA/NMFS’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Program Manager for the Mathematical Biology and Systems Monitoring Program.  Trained as a mathematical biologist, he has worked on a wide range of biological topics. Recent work has focused on the design and implementation of large-scale monitoring programs to assess anadromous salmonid freshwater habitat and population status.  He has also worked to analyze the watershed-scale effect of management actions on salmonid habitat and population.  Current projects include the development of life-cycle simulation models to integrate knowledge on physical and biological processes into a management decision support framework and developing novel methods and criteria to assess and design projects needed for the successful management of endangered salmon populations.

The presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in Room 205 on the upper floor of the Newport Visual Arts Center in Nye Beach, at 777 NW Beach Drive.  Refreshments will be provided. Following the presentation, a MidCoast Watersheds Council Board meeting will be held to review the financial report, restoration work, and the work of the groups’ technical administrative committees and take action as needed.

We hope to see you on Thursday, November 7th!

Documenting Our Area's Biodiversity

How can we find out the biodiversity in our part of the world?  A “BioBlitz” is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. Conducted by groups of scientists, naturalists, and volunteers, these events are an increasingly powerful way to establish a baseline and conduct ecological monitoring that may otherwise not be feasible.  It is also an opportunity for local people to learn more about the life around them from professions. At the October 3rd MidCoast Watersheds Council Community Meeting, Ian Throckmorton will present on the practice of BioBlitzing, as well as the use of the species documentation program called iNaturalist. 

Ian Throckmorton is an Oregon State Uuniversity graduate with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, and whose work is focused on conservation and education.  Along with a general discussion of BioBlitz practices, Ian will be presenting information and results of the numerous BioBlitz events that have taken place along the Oregon Coast over the past few years.  By the end of the presentation, participants will not only understand what a BioBlitz is, but also why and how they may carry out events of their own.

The presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in Room 205 on the upper floor of the Newport Visual Arts Center in Nye Beach, at 777 NW Beach Drive.  Refreshments will be provided. Following the presentation, a MidCoast Watersheds Council Board meeting will carry out with the following agenda: financial report, restoration report, technical team report, administrative committee report, and action items. We hope to see you on Thursday, October 3rd.

Yaquina Restoration Work Party for Orca Recovery Day

Date: Saturday, October 19th

Time: We will meet at the Eddyville Post Office at 9:45 AM to carpool/caravan/shuttle to the site about 15 minutes away. We will work until 2 PM with lunch/snack breaks as needed.

What to Bring: Water and food, rain protection, working boots and gloves. We will provide some tools like loppers, hand clippers, and shovels for removing invasive species with, but more are encouraged.

Join the MidCoast Watersheds Council in removing invasive Himalayan blackberry and planting native species in the Upper Yaquina Watershed to support salmon and Orca recovery.

As its name suggests, Himalayan blackberry does not originate from the Pacific Northwest, and its’ thorny, thicket-forming nature poses a challenge to native species establishment in riparian zones. With continual management, native plants can grow tall enough to eventually shade Himalayan blackberry out. But until then, the work of dedicated staff and volunteers is vital to ensuring successful restoration projects!

After enough area is cleared, the Work Party goal will be to plant more native trees and shrubs where gaps exist in the establishing riparian buffer. In addition to the shade that keeps invasive species out and stream temperatures cool, native plants provide the important watershed benefits of water filtration, soil stabilization, pollinator habitat, large woody debris recruitment, and carbon sequestration, among others—all  of which promote the recovery of salmon, and all the beings that depend on them.

Site History:

The MidCoast Watersheds Council began prioritizing restoration work in the Upper Yaquina Watershed in 2007 after receiving funding to determine the factors limiting salmon recovery and identifying projects needed to address these limitations. In 2010, outreach to landowners in the Basin began, and on-the-ground work began just three years later with a focus on increasing access to cold water in the Yaquina’s tributary streams. This included the removal of 9 fish passage barriers, riparian planting on 3 acres, large wood placements, and channel re-meandering. Years after that, the restoration focus shifted to directly improving conditions in the Yaquina’s mainstem, with livestock fencing, riparian planting along 4 acres, bridge installation, and larger large wood placements via helicopter. Today, monitoring and maintenance continues on all 7 acres of riparian planting.

Please RSVP by contacting Restoration Program Assistant Ari Blatt at ari@midcoastwc.org or (541)265-9195.

Developing a Dissolved Oxygen TMDL for the Siletz River

The main stem of the Siletz River is water quality impaired, including a 303(d) Category 5 listing for dissolved oxygen from the confluence of the North and South Forks to Cedar Creek. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is currently developing a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to determine the causes of the dissolved oxygen impairment and identify the maximum allowable pollutant loads in order to attain the dissolved oxygen standards. Join the Siletz Watershed Council’s fall quarterly meeting for a presentation on this process from Oregon DEQ’s Water Quality Analyst, Ryan Shojinaga, beginning at 6:30 PM in the Siletz Public Library. 

In the past two years, Oregon DEQ has conducted two studies of water quality in the Siletz Watershed. The first study involved collecting an extensive amount of water quality data in 2017 followed by thorough analysis in 2018. The second study involved modeling hydrology and nutrient loads generating from landscape runoff processes. Ryan Shojinaga will present a high level discussion of results and conclusions from both studies, with an eye on how these pieces fit into the TMDL process and what the next steps are. Ryan is a Water Quality Analyst with more than 15 years of experience in water resources engineering and environmental science. His professional journey has led him to Australia and back, working on exciting projects along the way. Ryan’s professional expertise is in surface water hydrology, hydraulics, water quality and numerical modeling.

The presentation will begin at 6:30 PM at the Siletz Public Library on 225 SE Gaither Street. Refreshments will be provided. A Siletz Watershed Council meeting will follow the presentation to give updates on the MidCoast Watersheds Council restoration and monitoring work in the Siletz Basin, disperse ODFW’s new Siletz River Guide, discuss future SWC goals, and allow time for any questions and announcements from the community.

Oregon's Changing Ocean: What Kelp, Sea Stars, and Other Organisms Can Tell Us

From sea star wasting disease to ocean acidification, our coastal ecosystems are changing in ways that may test their resilience. While understanding these changes and their impacts can be daunting to study, long-term monitoring and research can provide information that can help us decide on appropriate management steps. The Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) has been doing such monitoring on the west coast for two decades.  Now celebrating its 20th year, this collaboration between four west coast universities and partners including local, state, and federal agencies, and local community members helps us better understand our coastal oceans. At the September 5th MidCoast Watersheds Council Community Meeting, PISCO’s Heather Fulton-Bennett will highlight some of the results of this work, focusing on the long term changes along our coasts, current efforts, and what is expected in the future. The public is invited.

Founded as a partnership between Oregon State University, Stanford University, and the Universities of California Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara, PISCO has been at the forefront of studying sea star wasting, marine protected areas, ocean acidification, and hypoxia.  PISCO has a strong emphasis on public communication and being responsive to management and policy, needs.  Heather Fulton-Bennett joined these efforts as a PhD candidate at Oregon State University working with Drs. Bruce Menge and Jane Lubchenco. Her research focuses on the effect of ocean acidification on seaweeds in Oregon and New Zealand. Before joining Oregon State she earned a master's degree at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in California studying marine science and kelp ecology. Her background also includes working with artisanal fisheries in Mexico and monitoring seawater cooling systems at a power plant. 

The presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in Room 205 on the upper floor of the Newport Visual Arts Center in Nye Beach, at 777 NW Beach Drive.  Refreshments will be provided.  Prior to the presentation, consider venturing into the VAC’s third floor gallery to check out The Wetland Conservancy’s traveling art exhibit, Ode to Tides from 4:00-6:00 PM. The display of original, Northwest artwork in a variety of media recognizes the aesthetic and ecological significance of Oregon’s estuaries, tide pools and intertidal habitats, and seeks to spark community and creative interdisciplinary engagement, promote conservation, and enhance visitor experience and support of coastal resources and communities. It is sure to get you in the mindset for Fulton-Bennett’s intertidal presentation! Following the presentation, a MidCoast Watersheds Council Board meeting will carry out with the following agenda: financial report, restoration report, technical team report, administrative committee report, and action items. We hope to see you on Thursday, September 5th.

Habitat Restoration Work: What Benefits Can We Expect for Salmon and Watersheds?

Restoration in the Siletz River Basin, which supports one of the most diverse assemblages of fish species on the Oregon Coast and the fishers who seek them year-round, is about to see the benefits of a major culvert replacement project. Located on North Creek—a tributary to Drift Creek—this project will make over 13 miles of high quality habitat within the Siuslaw National Forest fully accessible to Chinook and coho salmon, steelhead, coastal cutthroat trout, lamprey, freshwater mussels, and other aquatic organisms for the first time in 62 years. At the August 1st MCWC Community Meeting—beginning  at 6:30 PM at the Newport Visual Arts Center—Council Coordinator, Evan Hayduk, will provide an update on the ongoing project, and provide context to one of the biggest restoration projects completed during his three year tenure.

Restoration work is at times as much of an art as it is a science, and is never finished until natural processes are restored. Culvert replacements like that at North Creek are just one of a suite of actions the MidCoast Watersheds Council and partners take on the ground to restore habitat and watershed scale processes, supporting salmon and everything else that depend on them. Other actions may include large wood placements, dike removal, invasive species management, and riparian planting and fencing. It takes understanding site characteristics and working in partnership with the landwoners, other organizations, and agencies to determine the right actions for any particular project and to see these tasks through. Years after these exciting projects wrap up, MCWC continues monitoring them to ensure that the actions taken are working to achieve the desired goals. Evan’s presentation will shed light on the benefits expected or seen from various restoration projects, illustrating before and after conditions on the ground.  Evan came to MCWC and Oregon’s Central Coast after almost a decade of work restoring riparian, wetland, sub-alpine, prairie, forested and oak savanna ecosystems in Washington state.

The presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in Room 205 on the upper floor of the Newport Visual Arts Center in Nye Beach, at 777 NW Beach Drive. Refreshments will be provided. A MidCoast Watersheds Council Board meeting will follow the presentation with the following agenda: financial report, restoration report, technical team report, administrative committee report, and action items. We hope to see you on Thursday, August 1st!

Restoration Project Underway in the Drift Creek (Siletz) Watershed

Even during low summer flows, the old North Creek culvert was clearly undersized.

The ground has broken at a major culvert replacement project on North Creek, a tributary to Drift Creek in the Siletz River Basin, being managed by the MidCoast Watersheds Council, the US Forest Service, and other collaborators. In preparation for the heavy construction involved in removing the grossly undersized culvert, last week a total of 432 aquatic organisms—including rearing salmon—were removed to good habitat downstream so that dewatering of the work site could take place without harm. While rains at the end of June slowed down excavation work, the old culvert was successfully removed on June 28th.

Recolonization of North Creek by native fish will be easier than at other sites, as it is a direct tributary to Drift Creek, which already contains intact freshwater mussel beds and coho salmon rearing habitat.

Upon completion, this project will open up about 16 miles of high quality fish habitat in the Siuslaw National Forest by removing the current culvert and replacing it with an appropriately sized, open-bottomed structure. This coming fall, Chinook and coho salmon, along with steelhead, coastal cutthroat, lamprey, freshwater mussels, and other aquatic organisms will be able to freely access the habitats of North Creek for the first time in 62 years.

Before road construction in 1958, small boulders, cobble, gravel, and large woody debris settled near the mouth of North Creek during large storm events that brought the material down from its’ 4.4 square mile watershed,. This created excellent salmon spawning and rearing habitat, and a home for a genetically distinct population of Chinook salmon. However, construction of Forest Road 1790 resulted in a culvert less than half bank full width being placed 750 feet above the confluence of North Creek with Drift Creek. The Oregon Fish Commission quickly identified the North Creek culvert as a fish passage problem in 1961. Over the years, engineered fish passage improvement projects were attempted but all failed. Storm flows destroyed concrete lined pools below the culvert outlet in the early 1960's. Concrete weirs built in 1982 were unsuccessful even with modifications and the addition of boulders and large wood. As a result, high water velocity through the undersized culvert eroded stream cobble and gravel, leaving exposed bedrock. Adult Chinook salmon have not been seen in North Creek for decades, and environmental DNA analysis conducted by Trout Unlimited in 2018 detected no Pacific lamprey—an ESA listed species—above the culvert.

USFS Hydrologist Leah Tai stands next to the concrete weirs constructed below the undersized culvert, which are also set to be removed.

The entirety of the North Creek watershed was included in the designation of a late-successional reserve as part of the Northwest Forest Plan adoption in 1994. This means that the forest here is managed to enhance the development of old growth conditions, which in turn provide important watershed and aquatic habitat benefits. Restoration activities will greatly advance the ability for these benefits to be realized—especially in terms of the transportation of large woody debris into the creek previously prevented by the undersized culvert. Large woody debris in streams help to provide cover for juvenile fish, slow water to collect spawning gravels, and create deep pools that provide refuge for both juvenile and adult fish.

Following the culvert removal, other restoration activities will include the removal of the concrete weirs, installation of the new open-bottomed culvert, installation of natural boulders and cobble in the streambed, and seeding of native plants. During the remainder of this work, Forest Service Road 1790 will be closed to allow operation vehicles full access to the site. While this blocks access to Drift Creek Camp and other popular recreational areas, it is a short-term impact that will allow for long-term access of salmon and other aquatic organisms to high quality habitat. The road is currently set to reopen on August 31st, and visitors are welcome to check out the new changes at that time.

A sign was posted at North Creek prior to construction to inform visitors of the crowdfunding campaign.

Construction costs for this project total approximately $900,000, with support received via grants from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Transportation-Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Fish Passage, Trout Unlimited, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as well as a crowdfunding campaign through the Native Fish Society.

"Stitching the Northwest Back Together": MCWC featured in High Country News

Chair of the Board, Paul Engelmeyer, took High Country News Executive Director and Publisher Paul Larmer on a bit of a Central Oregon Coast road trip this spring, stopping at private and public forests, streams, freshwater wetlands and estuaries— ranging from Cape Perpetua to Cascade Head— to discuss conservation issues and restoration solutions along the way. The tour was part of HCN’s ‘On the Road to 50‘ larger tour of the West, with the goal of learning about readers’ concerns as the nonprofit, independent media organization prepares to celebrate 50 years of publishing in 2020. We are excited by and grateful for the opportunity to share a bit of our mission on a regional level.

Read the full story here: https://www.hcn.org/issues/51.10/on-the-road-to-50-stitching-the-northwest-back-together

Tracking the survival and abundance of Oregon’s coastal Coho populations

Join the Siletz Watershed Council’s summer quarterly meeting, on Tuesday, June 18th, as Mike Lance and Erik Suring from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Salmonid Life Cycle Monitoring Project discuss where and how they study coho populations, general trends in coho populations, results of monitoring efforts in the Mill Creek watershed near Logsden, and how this information is used by managers and collaborators to help protect these important fisheries while providing opportunities for responsible use. The presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in Siletz at the Public Library on 225 SE Gaither Street

Salmon play a critical role in the ecology and communities of western Oregon by transporting nutrients and energy between marine and freshwater environments, and providing the basis for commercial, sport, and tribal fisheries. ODFW began monitoring the abundance and survival rates of coho salmon across western Oregon in response to declines in the 1980s and 1990s. The goal of the Salmonid Life Cycle Monitoring Project (https://nrimp.dfw.state.or.us/crl/default.aspx?pn=SLCMP) is to create reliable estimates of the production of juvenile coho smolts, rates of marine survival, and counts of returning adult coho. Fisheries managers use this information to evaluate population trends, set harvest regulations, and monitor the effectiveness of restoration activities. This management is informed by 20 years of data in select basins.

Mike Lance is a research fisheries biologist with ODFW in Newport, Oregon where he is an assistant project leader on the Salmonid Life Cycle Monitoring Project. He oversees research and monitoring of Coho Salmon at sites in the Siletz, Yaquina, Alsea, and Tenmile Watersheds. Erik Suring is a research fisheries biologist with ODFW in Corvallis, Oregon, and he is the project leader of the Salmonid Life Cycle Monitoring Project. Erik oversees monitoring and research projects along the entire Oregon coast and up the lower Columbia River.

A Siletz Watershed Council meeting will follow the presentation to review the Siletz River Clean Up, give updates on the North Creek culvert replacement, and allow time for any questions and announcements from the community.

June is Orca Month: join us in restoring salmon habitat

Healthy orcas start with healthy food, and salmon need healthy habitat. That’s why we are partnering to put on not one, but three restoration work parties on Fridays this month: the 7th, 14th, and 21st!

Short descriptions of each event we’re planning follow below, as well as links to more information about them. Please contact ari@midcoastwc.org with any questions.

All Orca Month events listed here.

June 7th, 10 AM to 3:30 PM: Restoration Work Party at Sitka Springs Farm

Care for a former riparian planting along a salmon-bearing stream by conducting some site preparation and planting at a small organic farm and long-time partner of the Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District.

More info/directions here.

June 14th, 9 AM to 12 PM: Beaver Creek Native Plant Nursery Work Party

Volunteers are vital to ensuring locally-adapted plants are available for use in restoration, improving their survival rate and ability to support healthy watersheds, salmon, and everything that relies on these once they are out-planted across the Central Coast. Tasks at the nursery include sowing seeds, starting shrbus from cuttings, potting plants, and weeding.

More info/directions here.

June 21st, 10 AM to 2 PM: Invasive Species Removal in the Salmon River Estuary

Continue a legacy of restoration by removing invasive species at two important sites. As native plants continue to establish, they must contend with Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, English ivy, laurel, fox glove, and other invasive species. Removing these early in the growing season will help ensure young native trees and shrubs are given the best chance to survive so that they may provide habitat benefits for fish and wildlife over the long run.

More info/directions here.

C2C Trail: History, Development, and Updates

Imagine traveling along a 50 mile trail linking the Willamette Valley to the Pacific Ocean, taking in the rich cultural, geologic, and ecological attributes of the landscape that is harder to fully grasp at faster paces. This picture is soon to become a reality, in the form of the Corvallis-to-the-Sea—or C2C—Trail . Jim Golden will present the latest trail development updates at the June 6th  MidCoast Watersheds Council Community Meeting, in the Newport Visual Arts Center, starting at 6:30 PM.

The C2C trail’s completed eastern half begins in Corvallis at the confluence of the Marys and Willamette Rivers. Hiking takes place on bike paths, some highway and county road sections, than continues into the lush Coast Range on actively managed forest lands and old growth reserves alike. After passing through more traditional single-track sections being built, the trail will ultimately end at the confluence of Beaver Creek with the Pacific on Ona Beach, within Brian Booth State Park. MCWC has implemented restoration projects throughout the Beaver Creek Watershed, and the trail provides potential for hikers to catch a rare glimpse of restoration sites as they mature.

With both a BS and MS in Fisheries from Oregon State University, Jim is keen on keeping fish, wildlife, and habitat in consideration in trail planning. His career background included 34 years spent with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as a technician, biologist, and finally as the manager of the Marine Resources Program, based out of Hatfield Marine Sciences Center. Following, he spent 13 years as a consultant with Golden Marine Consulting. “After spending so many years exploring the marine environment, I turned east and started exploring Oregon’s terrestrial and freshwater habitats,” Jim says, which lead him to joining the C2C Trail organization. Over the past four years ago, he has worked directly on the trail, as well as a board member for the organization.

The presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in Room 205 on the upper floor of the Newport Visual Arts Center in Nye Beach, at 777 NW Beach Drive. Refreshments will be provided. A MidCoast Watersheds Council Board meeting will follow the presentation with the following agenda: financial report, restoration report, technical team report, administrative committee report, and action items. We hope to see you on Thursday, June 6th!

Integrated Stormwater Management

What actions can we take to coexist with fish and wildlife in our towns and cities? How can we maintain healthy streams where we live as more development occurs? There is great need to be mindful of the quality and quantity of water run-off in our communities, and how development changes these conditions. Please join the MidCoast Watersheds Council at our monthly Community Meeting as Mike Broili presents on the importance of—and the techniques and tools used in—restoring site hydrology in the built environment.  

Over the past 150 years, most development has occurred without consideration of the impacts to the natural systems that sustain us. In the face of present day environmental issues coupled with the expected population growth in this region, we must collectively rethink how we develop our built environments and the impacts they have on hydrology and other supporting natural systems.

Mike Broili moved from the Seattle area to South Beach with his partner Karen just over two years ago, after retiring from his own environmental consulting and design firm, Living Systems Design, where he focused on low impact, sustainable building and storm water management in Shoreline, Washington. Mike grew up in a fishing and logging family in Port Orford and worked in the fishing industry in Alaska. While in Shoreline, Mike also founded and served as the former Chair of the Board of the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation; on the City of Shoreline’s Parks Board, Bond Advisory Committee, Arts Jury, and Planning Commission; and as the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s Well Home Program Director. He is a Washington Native Plant Steward, a King County Forest Adviser, a certified Sustainable Building Advisor, and a Compost Facility Operator.

The presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in Room 205 on the upper floor of the Newport Visual Arts Center in Nye Beach, at 777 NW Beach Drive. Refreshments will be provided. A MidCoast Watersheds Council Board meeting will follow the presentation with the following agenda: financial report, restoration report, technical team report, administrative committee report, and action items. We hope to see you on Thursday, May 2nd!

Arbor Day Potting Party: Friday, April 26th

MCWC staff and partners from Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District will be trekking up to the Northwest Oregon Restoration Partnership (NORP) Native Plant Nursery on Friday, April 26th. Volunteering our time potting plants there allows us to buy coastally-adapted native plants for our restoration work at 25% of their full cost. Even more, the other 75% qualifies as in-kind match on restoration project grants. 

The potting party will run from 10 AM to 3:30 PM at 6820 Barracks Circle, Tillamook, OR 97141. If you are looking for an opportunity to extend your green thumb to your greater watershed, consider joining us!

Want to arrive/leave on your own time? Meet us there. Please register at the following link if you choose to take this route: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/potting-party-days-tickets-53936678056?aff=erelexpmlt

Up for a full day? Join our carpool by meeting us at 8 AM at the MCWC/LSWCD office at 411 NE Avery St, Newport, OR 97365. Respond to this email if you plan to do this. 

Please dress for the weather, bring gloves if you have them, and water and food (pizza has been provided at past potting parties, but it is unclear at this time whether it will be made available). Also, because NORP works in partnership with Oregon Youth Authority, you must be 18+.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. 

Hope to have you in our company this Arbor Day, Friday, April 26th! 

Annual Siletz River Clean Up: Saturday, May 11th, 2019 9 AM to 2 PM at Hee Hee Illahe Park, Siletz

Join Siletz Watershed Council, MidCoast Watersheds Council, and partners for a day on the water removing trash during the Annual Siletz River Clean Up on the Saturday, April 13th.

This is a family-friendly event, with opportunities for trash pickup both by boat and by foot to support the health of this special river system.

With a river length of 67 miles from its’ headwaters in the Coast Range to where it meets the Pacific just south of Lincoln City, the Siletz River Watershed drains a total area of 197,120 acres. The cities of Siletz, Toledo, Newport, and Seal Rock all obtain water from this system. In addition, the river supports vulnerable populations of coho salmon, summer steelhead, and spring chinook, as well as winter steelhead, fall chinook, chum, and cutthroat and rainbow trout, and is a popular recreational fishing destination.

River users from the Central Coast and the Willamette Valley recognize the importance of this watershed. During the 2017 Clean Up, 20 volunteers in four boats collected over 1,000 pounds of garbage from the river and banks. In 2018, the event was delayed a month back from its usual date due to high flows and bad weather. But even with this change in schedule, over 25 volunteers in five boats collected over 1,200 pounds of garbage.

These collections include a range of trash, from smaller items such as plastic bottles and food containers, to larger items like car tires and even car bodies. By working with local boat owners, we are able to remove much more trash—and much larger pieces of trash—than would be possible with just land-based coverage.

Prior to divvying up volunteers into teams, coffee and donuts may be enjoyed in the morning, thanks to donations by Starbucks and JC Thriftway.

After all the hard work is done in the afternoon, a BBQ lunch and raffle takes place. Prizes may include items from: Logsden Store, Siletz Roadhouse, Noel’s Market, Larry’s Old Place, Englund Marine, Newport Marine, Little Chief Restaurant, Harry’s Bait and Tackle, among others.

Other sponsors and supporters include: Siletz Shuttle Service, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Dahl Disposal, SOLVE, City of Siletz, and Local Fishing Guides.

Bring your friends, gloves, waterproof boots, and dress in layers to take part in this long-term effort.

Registration is not required, but preferred, at the following link: https://www.solveoregon.org/opportunity/a0C1I00000Gu7wd

Hope to see you 9 AM at Hee Hee Illahe Park in Siletz on Saturday, May 11th!

Ocean acidification and hypoxia: What Oregon is doing to understand, adapt to, and mitigate the impacts

Since the early 2000s, low-oxygen—or hypoxia—has been observed in Oregon’s coastal waters. In 2006, Oregon was one of the first places in the world to observe the direct impacts of ocean acidification. Since then, both ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH) events are intensifying.

There are now signs that these events are undermining the rich food webs of Oregon’s ocean and estuarine ecosystems, putting iconic fisheries and coastal communities that depend on them at risk. Join the MidCoast Watersheds Council at our monthly Community Meeting, as Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Resources Program Manager, Dr. Caren Braby, presents information on OAH and the work of the Oregon Coordinating Council on OAH, which she also co-chairs.

To provide guidance and recommendations to the state on how to respond to this issue, Oregon Senate Bill 1039 created the Oregon Coordinating Council on OAH in 2017. Consisting of state agencies, academic experts, stakeholders, and tribal interests, the OAH Council submitted their first report to the State Legislative Assembly this past September. Work continues as Oregon's OAH Action Plan will be completed later this year and become part of the growing number of similar plans globally.

In her roles with ODFW, on the OAH Council, and while serving as the Governor’s representative on the Ocean Acidification Working Group for the Pacific Coast Collaborative,

Dr. Caren Braby provides strategic leadership on all things ‘ocean’ within the state of Oregon and across the West Coast. Caren and her staff build partnerships with industry, academic researchers, tribal governments, agencies, stakeholders, and elected officials to collaboratively define, and achieve, both economic and ecosystem resilience. Over the past five years, changing ocean conditions—including OAH—have become focal points for Caren’s work. She received her Doctorate from Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine, though she began her career as a marine biologist toddling through West Coast tidepools at age 2.

The presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in Room 205 on the upper floor of the Newport Visual Arts Center in Nye Beach, at 777 NW Beach Drive. Refreshments will be provided. A MidCoast Watersheds Council Board meeting will follow the presentation with the following agenda: Financial report, Restoration report, Technical Team report, and Administrative Team report and action items.

We hope to see you on Thursday, April 4th!