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• 91. [Article] Watershed stewardship needs assessment policy issues

  Results from a 1999 survey of watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, and friends groups. Bounding coordinates: West Bounding Coordinate: -123.769586; East Bounding Coordinate: -121.631074; ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Watershed stewardship needs assessment policy issues Author: Willamette Restoration Initiative Results from a 1999 survey of watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, and friends groups. Bounding coordinates: West Bounding Coordinate: -123.769586; East Bounding Coordinate: -121.631074; North Bounding Coordinate: 45.941295; South Bounding Coordinate: 43.350360. Title: Watershed stewardship needs assessment policy issues Author: Willamette Restoration Initiative Results from a 1999 survey of watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, and friends groups. Bounding coordinates: West Bounding Coordinate: -123.769586; East Bounding Coordinate: -121.631074; North Bounding Coordinate: 45.941295; South Bounding Coordinate: 43.350360. Close

• 92. [Article] Effects of harvest and roads on in-stream wood abundance in the Blue River Basin, western Cascades, Oregon

  Despite many studies of large wood in streams, few landscape scale studies have been conducted. Large-scale studies can reveal how the history of forest harvest and road building has influenced wood patterns ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Effects of harvest and roads on in-stream wood abundance in the Blue River Basin, western Cascades, Oregon Author: Czarnomski, Nicole M. Despite many studies of large wood in streams, few landscape scale studies have been conducted. Large-scale studies can reveal how the history of forest harvest and road building has influenced wood patterns in streams of the Pacific Northwest. This study examined the relationships between wood in streams, timber harvest, and road building at large (>50 km² ) spatial and long (>25 year) temporal scales, based on longitudinal surveys of 25.2 km of stream length in five sub-basins of the Blue River Basin, Cascade Range, Oregon. In-stream wood was surveyed in six sampling sites, ranging from 1.6 km to 14.1 km in length along 2nd to 5th -order channels in public forests. Wood volumes, numbers of pieces of large wood, numbers of accumulations and timing of emplacement were determined at 50-m intervals. Wood volumes and numbers of pieces were expressed per unit of channel area in order to account for variations in channel width. Wood volumes and piece numbers were related to spatial data on harvest and road building using GIS. Analysis of variance (using SAS) tested how wood volumes and piece numbers were related to the presence of a harvest or road unit within 40 m of the stream, sampling site, timing of harvest, distance harvest was from the channel, and effects of natural processes. P-values for pairwise comparisons were adjusted using a Bonfenoni procedure. Distributed patch clearcutting and road construction were concentrated in the 1950's and 1960's in the Lookout Creek basin and 1960's to the 1980's in the Upper Blue River basin. A total of 66% (Cook Creek), 55% (Mack Creek), 53% (Lower Lookout), 37% (McRae Creek and Upper Lookout), and 7% (Quentin Creek) of stream length had harvests and/or roads within 40 m of the stream. Approximately 80% of the wood volume and 85% of the number of large pieces occurred in accumulations. Wood volumes were lower in 5th-order compared to 3rd -order streams. Lower Lookout (the only 5th-order channel) had significantly lower wood volumes (109 m³/ha) than all other locations (200-378 m³/ha, p<O.O5) and significantly lower numbers of large pieces (23 large pieces/ha) compared to all other locations (39 vs. 64 large pieces/ha, p<O.008). All other locations had fairly similar wood volumes and numbers of large pieces For all study sites combined, 50-m stream segments without harvests or roads had significantly higher volume (356 m³/ha) and number of large pieces (57 pieces/ha), than stream segments with harvests or roads within 40 m (80 to 157 m³/ha, p<O.O3; 19 to 39 pieces/ha, p<O.O4). Stream segments without harvests or roads (32 pieces/ha) also had significantly higher number of accumulations compared to stream segments with roads (16 pieces/ha, p<O.004), or compared to stream segments with harvest on one side and roads (16 pieces/ha, p<O.004). Distance a harvest was from the stream and timing of harvest did not appear to affect wood volume or number of large pieces. Harvests and roads were associated with decreases in wood abundance 50 m upstream and 50 m downstream of harvest units and road crossings. The 50-m stream segments immediately upstream (171.8 m³/ha) and downstream (191.6 m³/ha) of a section of stream with harvest and roads had significantly lower volume than the 50-m stream segments without harvest or roads (427.7 m³/ha, p<O. 1). Natural processes such as floods, windthrow, near-stream toppling, and debris flows from the last 50 years had not obscured the effects of harvest and roads on wood volume and number of pieces in stream channels of Lookout Creek and Blue River. The legacy of harvest and road activities was still apparent in in-stream wood patterns up to 50 years later in this site, which consisted of old-growth forest subjected to dispersed patch clearcutting, road construction, and salvage logging conducted in the 1950's to the 1980s. However, harvest, road, and salvage practices on public lands have changed since that period. Therefore, these results should be extrapolated to other sites only with careful consideration of site history. Title: Effects of harvest and roads on in-stream wood abundance in the Blue River Basin, western Cascades, Oregon Author: Czarnomski, Nicole M. Despite many studies of large wood in streams, few landscape scale studies have been conducted. Large-scale studies can reveal how the history of forest harvest and road building has influenced wood patterns in streams of the Pacific Northwest. This study examined the relationships between wood in streams, timber harvest, and road building at large (>50 km² ) spatial and long (>25 year) temporal scales, based on longitudinal surveys of 25.2 km of stream length in five sub-basins of the Blue River Basin, Cascade Range, Oregon. In-stream wood was surveyed in six sampling sites, ranging from 1.6 km to 14.1 km in length along 2nd to 5th -order channels in public forests. Wood volumes, numbers of pieces of large wood, numbers of accumulations and timing of emplacement were determined at 50-m intervals. Wood volumes and numbers of pieces were expressed per unit of channel area in order to account for variations in channel width. Wood volumes and piece numbers were related to spatial data on harvest and road building using GIS. Analysis of variance (using SAS) tested how wood volumes and piece numbers were related to the presence of a harvest or road unit within 40 m of the stream, sampling site, timing of harvest, distance harvest was from the channel, and effects of natural processes. P-values for pairwise comparisons were adjusted using a Bonfenoni procedure. Distributed patch clearcutting and road construction were concentrated in the 1950's and 1960's in the Lookout Creek basin and 1960's to the 1980's in the Upper Blue River basin. A total of 66% (Cook Creek), 55% (Mack Creek), 53% (Lower Lookout), 37% (McRae Creek and Upper Lookout), and 7% (Quentin Creek) of stream length had harvests and/or roads within 40 m of the stream. Approximately 80% of the wood volume and 85% of the number of large pieces occurred in accumulations. Wood volumes were lower in 5th-order compared to 3rd -order streams. Lower Lookout (the only 5th-order channel) had significantly lower wood volumes (109 m³/ha) than all other locations (200-378 m³/ha, p<O.O5) and significantly lower numbers of large pieces (23 large pieces/ha) compared to all other locations (39 vs. 64 large pieces/ha, p<O.008). All other locations had fairly similar wood volumes and numbers of large pieces For all study sites combined, 50-m stream segments without harvests or roads had significantly higher volume (356 m³/ha) and number of large pieces (57 pieces/ha), than stream segments with harvests or roads within 40 m (80 to 157 m³/ha, p<O.O3; 19 to 39 pieces/ha, p<O.O4). Stream segments without harvests or roads (32 pieces/ha) also had significantly higher number of accumulations compared to stream segments with roads (16 pieces/ha, p<O.004), or compared to stream segments with harvest on one side and roads (16 pieces/ha, p<O.004). Distance a harvest was from the stream and timing of harvest did not appear to affect wood volume or number of large pieces. Harvests and roads were associated with decreases in wood abundance 50 m upstream and 50 m downstream of harvest units and road crossings. The 50-m stream segments immediately upstream (171.8 m³/ha) and downstream (191.6 m³/ha) of a section of stream with harvest and roads had significantly lower volume than the 50-m stream segments without harvest or roads (427.7 m³/ha, p<O. 1). Natural processes such as floods, windthrow, near-stream toppling, and debris flows from the last 50 years had not obscured the effects of harvest and roads on wood volume and number of pieces in stream channels of Lookout Creek and Blue River. The legacy of harvest and road activities was still apparent in in-stream wood patterns up to 50 years later in this site, which consisted of old-growth forest subjected to dispersed patch clearcutting, road construction, and salvage logging conducted in the 1950's to the 1980s. However, harvest, road, and salvage practices on public lands have changed since that period. Therefore, these results should be extrapolated to other sites only with careful consideration of site history. Close

• 93. [Article] A comparative analysis of stream response to disturbance in the Pacific Northwest

  Published literature about six Pacific Northwest stream systems was contrasted to provide a regional perspective on channel response to disturbance. This investigation was prompted by a combination of ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A comparative analysis of stream response to disturbance in the Pacific Northwest Author: Hodgins-Carlson, Terry Anne Published literature about six Pacific Northwest stream systems was contrasted to provide a regional perspective on channel response to disturbance. This investigation was prompted by a combination of recent environmental legislation, mounting social pressures to plan projects at a drainage basin scale, and the difficulty in defining and predicting the response and recovery of a stream channel to land-use management or storm events. Detailed studies of Redwood Creek, CA; the San Lorenzo River, CA; the South Fork Salmon River, ID; the Upper Middle Fork of the Willamette River, OR; the Alsea River System, OR; and Carnation Creek, B.C. were reviewed and contrasted. Differences in channel response to disturbance appear to be the result of the sequence of storms, the interactions between storms and land-use, the processes that deliver sediment to the channel, the available stream power, and the bank stability. Basins with low debris avalanche and earthflow potential, high stream power, and stable stream banks experience only localized and short-lived response to disturbance. On the other hand, basins with frequent debris avalanches or high earthflow potential and unstable banks experience widespread and persistent response. This study concludes that there must be realization and acceptance of the random nature of channel response and recovery following disturbance. Field evaluation, professional judgement, risk assessment, and adaptive management are the most powerful tools available in the prediction of channel response. Title: A comparative analysis of stream response to disturbance in the Pacific Northwest Author: Hodgins-Carlson, Terry Anne Published literature about six Pacific Northwest stream systems was contrasted to provide a regional perspective on channel response to disturbance. This investigation was prompted by a combination of recent environmental legislation, mounting social pressures to plan projects at a drainage basin scale, and the difficulty in defining and predicting the response and recovery of a stream channel to land-use management or storm events. Detailed studies of Redwood Creek, CA; the San Lorenzo River, CA; the South Fork Salmon River, ID; the Upper Middle Fork of the Willamette River, OR; the Alsea River System, OR; and Carnation Creek, B.C. were reviewed and contrasted. Differences in channel response to disturbance appear to be the result of the sequence of storms, the interactions between storms and land-use, the processes that deliver sediment to the channel, the available stream power, and the bank stability. Basins with low debris avalanche and earthflow potential, high stream power, and stable stream banks experience only localized and short-lived response to disturbance. On the other hand, basins with frequent debris avalanches or high earthflow potential and unstable banks experience widespread and persistent response. This study concludes that there must be realization and acceptance of the random nature of channel response and recovery following disturbance. Field evaluation, professional judgement, risk assessment, and adaptive management are the most powerful tools available in the prediction of channel response. Close

• 94. [Article] 2002 Lower Nehelam Habitat Assessment Project

  Abstract -- ODFW's Aquatic Inventory protocol was used in 2003 to assess habitat in selected streams (40km total) in the Nehalem basin. Snorkel surveys were also conducted to estimate juvenile salmonid ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: 2002 Lower Nehelam Habitat Assessment Project Abstract -- ODFW's Aquatic Inventory protocol was used in 2003 to assess habitat in selected streams (40km total) in the Nehalem basin. Snorkel surveys were also conducted to estimate juvenile salmonid abundance in these streams. This report identifies locations in the survey area where large wood placements would enhance fish habitat. Existing wood placements were evaluated for effectiveness. Title: 2002 Lower Nehelam Habitat Assessment Project Abstract -- ODFW's Aquatic Inventory protocol was used in 2003 to assess habitat in selected streams (40km total) in the Nehalem basin. Snorkel surveys were also conducted to estimate juvenile salmonid abundance in these streams. This report identifies locations in the survey area where large wood placements would enhance fish habitat. Existing wood placements were evaluated for effectiveness. Close

• 95. [Article] Statistical summaries of streamflow data in Oregon : Volume 2, annual low and high flow, and instantaneous peak flow

  Statistical summaries of streamfiow data at 358 stream-gaging sites are presented to aid in appraising the hydrology of river basins in Oregon. Records for 36 stream-gaging stations were compiled into ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Statistical summaries of streamflow data in Oregon : Volume 2, annual low and high flow, and instantaneous peak flow Author: Oregon. Water Resources Dept., Wellman, Roy E, Moffatt, R. L., Gordon, Janice M. Statistical summaries of streamfiow data at 358 stream-gaging sites are presented to aid in appraising the hydrology of river basins in Oregon. Records for 36 stream-gaging stations were compiled into separate periods because of changes in streamflow regulation during the period of data collection. Statistical summaries for the periods before and after regulation are presented for comparison. Title: Statistical summaries of streamflow data in Oregon : Volume 2, annual low and high flow, and instantaneous peak flow Author: Oregon. Water Resources Dept., Wellman, Roy E, Moffatt, R. L., Gordon, Janice M. Statistical summaries of streamfiow data at 358 stream-gaging sites are presented to aid in appraising the hydrology of river basins in Oregon. Records for 36 stream-gaging stations were compiled into separate periods because of changes in streamflow regulation during the period of data collection. Statistical summaries for the periods before and after regulation are presented for comparison. Close

• 96. [Image] Winberry Creek falls

  	Falls on Winberry Creek at end of survey Winberry Creek is a tributary of Fall Creek which is part of the Middle Fork Willamette River system;1938-05-19
  	Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Winberry Creek falls Year: 1938 Falls on Winberry Creek at end of survey Winberry Creek is a tributary of Fall Creek which is part of the Middle Fork Willamette River system;1938-05-19 Title: Winberry Creek falls Year: 1938 Falls on Winberry Creek at end of survey Winberry Creek is a tributary of Fall Creek which is part of the Middle Fork Willamette River system;1938-05-19 Close

• 97. [Image] Shooting rapids

  	Shooting the rapids on the North Santiam River during the North Santiam survey ; 1940-08-06
  	Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Shooting rapids Year: 1940 Shooting the rapids on the North Santiam River during the North Santiam survey ; 1940-08-06 Title: Shooting rapids Year: 1940 Shooting the rapids on the North Santiam River during the North Santiam survey ; 1940-08-06 Close

• 98. [Image] Lack of drainage impairs the logging road and silts streams, Umpqua National Forest

  	USFS photo #484291
  	Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Lack of drainage impairs the logging road and silts streams, Umpqua National Forest Year: 1957 USFS photo #484291 Title: Lack of drainage impairs the logging road and silts streams, Umpqua National Forest Year: 1957 USFS photo #484291 Close

• 99. [Article] Effectiveness Monitoring Report for the Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program, 1999-2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2010-6

  Abstract -- State and federal agencies have invested millions of dollars to restore streams and watersheds in the Pacific Northwest over the past two decades. In Oregon alone, over 500 million dollars ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Effectiveness Monitoring Report for the Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program, 1999-2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2010-6 Abstract -- State and federal agencies have invested millions of dollars to restore streams and watersheds in the Pacific Northwest over the past two decades. In Oregon alone, over 500 million dollars has been spent on completed projects from 1995 to 2007 (Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 2009). Restoration practitioners have distributed the investment among watershed scale activities such as road repair, dam removal, and upland management, and stream scale activities such as passage, instream complexity, and riparian plantings. The Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program (WOSRP) was established to work in cooperation with private and corporate landowners to restore stream habitat for juvenile and adult salmonids. In addition to the WOSRP, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) funds restoration projects with local watershed councils, who commonly partner with state and federal agencies. Eight WOSRP restoration biologists in Tillamook, Newport, Charleston, Gold Beach, Roseburg, Clackamas, and Salem select sites and implement projects consistent with the criteria described in Thom et al (2001). A monitoring component is integrated in the program, with surveys coordinated and reported by a biologist in Corvallis. The goal of the monitoring program is to assess the long term effectiveness of instream restoration projects implemented by WOSRP, and to evaluate progress towards salmon conservation and recovery goals in Oregon’s coastal basins. The WOSRP restoration sites are distributed throughout the Willamette, Lower Columbia, and coastal drainage's. Restoration treatments added large wood and/or boulders, improved fish passage, planted trees in riparian areas, or were a combination of the three. Large wood was placed in complex jams at intervals throughout the stream to increase stream roughness and complexity. Boulders were sometimes used in conjunction with wood jams to provide stability to the structures, and prevent large wood from moving downstream and posing a hazard to culverts and bridges. Bedrock dominated streams were often treated with boulders to collect gravel and cobble, intended to aggrade the streambed. In the future, large wood may be added to these streams. Fish passage projects opened previously inaccessible habitat to juvenile and/or adult salmonids while riparian plantings and fencing were designed to improve riparian vegetation and bank structure. The project length varied from site to site. Fish passage sites were quite short, but provided access to kilometers of fish habitat, and large wood sites were up to several kilometers in length. Large wood and boulder placement projects have become commonplace in the Pacific Northwest to restore complex stream habitat for juvenile coho and other salmonids (Katz et al. 2007, Roni et al. 2008). Detailed assessments have been published for individual projects or experiments (e.g. Moore and Gregory, 1988, Nickelson et al. 1992, Cederholm et al.1997). More extensive evaluations have used a post treatment design (Hicks et al 1991, Roni and Quinn 2001), but none have used a pre- and post treatment design. In this paper we evaluate habitat changes at 103 restoration projects in western Oregon from pre-treatment to one year post treatment to 6 years following treatment. Projects commonly treated 0.5 – 1 km of stream, but some extended up to 6 km. The projects we evaluated in this paper were treated with large logs, usually arranged in jams, and were not cabled or driven into banks or bottom. As of 2008, the OWEB and WOSRP projects have treated approximately 750 km of stream with large wood (Figure 1), 120 km with boulders, and over 4,000 km of stream have been made accessible by replacing and/or removing culverts. Each year, OWEB receives 210 grant applications for restoration projects. These projects generally adhere to a similar selection process and design, so the results of this study can be expected to apply more broadly within the Pacific Northwest. Roni et al (2008), in a synthesis paper, summarized many of the potential physical benefits of restoration; these include pool depth and frequency, habitat complexity, woody debris, and sediment retention and quality of spawning gravel. Some projects in deeply incised channels have reduced the incision and increased bed elevation. Evaluations of biological responses have been confounded by natural variability of populations, duration of study, or length of stream examined. For example, determination of success based on spawning ground counts is problematic because of variation in ocean survival. However, longer duration and watershed scale studies have shown positive responses of juvenile and adult salmon (Johnson et al 2005). Burnett et al. (2008) conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles to examine the effects of large wood placement on salmonid abundance, growth, or survival, or on overall stream habitat complexity. Few publications were both relevant and met the rigorous standards outlined in their review. Although the review supported short term improvements in habitat complexity, the relationship to salmonid productivity was less definitive. Notable exceptions included Johnson et al. (2005) cited above, and Solazzi et al. (2000). An alternative approach to directly assessing biological response is to model potential changes in abundance or productivity. The Habitat Limiting Factors Model (Reeves et al. 1989, Nickelson et al.1992a, Nickelson 1998) was developed to quantify the carrying capacity of coastal streams for juvenile coho during the summer and winter. Use of this model is appropriate because most of the instream restoration projects in western Oregon were intended to improve habitat for juvenile coho. In this paper, we evaluated the physical response directly, and quantified the potential response of juvenile coho salmon by application of the Habitat Limiting Factors Model. Project effectiveness monitoring requires linking the restoration treatment to improved physical conditions for and biological response of salmon (Katz et al. 2007) and defining desired outcomes (Rumps et al. 2007). Because the WOSRP projects were designed to improve ecological and hydrologic stream function specifically for salmonids, we evaluated 1) retention of wood structures, 2) natural recruitment of additional wood, 3) increase in pool number, area, and depth, 4) retention of gravels and sorting of finer substrates, and 5) increase in channel complexity – secondary channels and off-channel habitats. Biological evaluation was based on estimates of the potential carrying capacity for juvenile coho during the overwinter life stage. The primary objectives of this evaluation are to test for these changes one year following treatment and 6 years following treatment. Secondarily, we evaluated the response of the projects by geographic location and position along the stream network. Previous WOSRP monitoring reports (e.g. Jacobsen and Jones 2003, Jacobsen et al. 2007) have focused on conditions one year following treatment, with relatively few sites assessed 2-3 years following restoration. Since 2003, the restoration projects have increased in complexity – more and larger pieces and jams, and treated more kilometers of stream length per site. The WOSRP program has provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of restoration projects over longer times and broader geographic scales than previously feasible. We have been surveying the restoration sites in both summer and winter to monitor changes in stream habitat and evaluate the success of treatments, such as the placement of wood and/or boulders and fish passage. Surveys are logistically easier to manage in the summer, but surveys conducted during the winter provide a more timely and accurate assessment of over-winter rearing potential for juvenile coho. Because we have paired surveys, we are able to assess the added value of revisits across seasons. We test the hypothesis that habitat characteristics at the restoration sites do not change from summer to winter. The findings permit us to modify the survey program if the information is duplicative, and use the resources in another fashion. Title: Effectiveness Monitoring Report for the Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program, 1999-2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2010-6 Abstract -- State and federal agencies have invested millions of dollars to restore streams and watersheds in the Pacific Northwest over the past two decades. In Oregon alone, over 500 million dollars has been spent on completed projects from 1995 to 2007 (Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 2009). Restoration practitioners have distributed the investment among watershed scale activities such as road repair, dam removal, and upland management, and stream scale activities such as passage, instream complexity, and riparian plantings. The Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program (WOSRP) was established to work in cooperation with private and corporate landowners to restore stream habitat for juvenile and adult salmonids. In addition to the WOSRP, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) funds restoration projects with local watershed councils, who commonly partner with state and federal agencies. Eight WOSRP restoration biologists in Tillamook, Newport, Charleston, Gold Beach, Roseburg, Clackamas, and Salem select sites and implement projects consistent with the criteria described in Thom et al (2001). A monitoring component is integrated in the program, with surveys coordinated and reported by a biologist in Corvallis. The goal of the monitoring program is to assess the long term effectiveness of instream restoration projects implemented by WOSRP, and to evaluate progress towards salmon conservation and recovery goals in Oregon’s coastal basins. The WOSRP restoration sites are distributed throughout the Willamette, Lower Columbia, and coastal drainage's. Restoration treatments added large wood and/or boulders, improved fish passage, planted trees in riparian areas, or were a combination of the three. Large wood was placed in complex jams at intervals throughout the stream to increase stream roughness and complexity. Boulders were sometimes used in conjunction with wood jams to provide stability to the structures, and prevent large wood from moving downstream and posing a hazard to culverts and bridges. Bedrock dominated streams were often treated with boulders to collect gravel and cobble, intended to aggrade the streambed. In the future, large wood may be added to these streams. Fish passage projects opened previously inaccessible habitat to juvenile and/or adult salmonids while riparian plantings and fencing were designed to improve riparian vegetation and bank structure. The project length varied from site to site. Fish passage sites were quite short, but provided access to kilometers of fish habitat, and large wood sites were up to several kilometers in length. Large wood and boulder placement projects have become commonplace in the Pacific Northwest to restore complex stream habitat for juvenile coho and other salmonids (Katz et al. 2007, Roni et al. 2008). Detailed assessments have been published for individual projects or experiments (e.g. Moore and Gregory, 1988, Nickelson et al. 1992, Cederholm et al.1997). More extensive evaluations have used a post treatment design (Hicks et al 1991, Roni and Quinn 2001), but none have used a pre- and post treatment design. In this paper we evaluate habitat changes at 103 restoration projects in western Oregon from pre-treatment to one year post treatment to 6 years following treatment. Projects commonly treated 0.5 – 1 km of stream, but some extended up to 6 km. The projects we evaluated in this paper were treated with large logs, usually arranged in jams, and were not cabled or driven into banks or bottom. As of 2008, the OWEB and WOSRP projects have treated approximately 750 km of stream with large wood (Figure 1), 120 km with boulders, and over 4,000 km of stream have been made accessible by replacing and/or removing culverts. Each year, OWEB receives 210 grant applications for restoration projects. These projects generally adhere to a similar selection process and design, so the results of this study can be expected to apply more broadly within the Pacific Northwest. Roni et al (2008), in a synthesis paper, summarized many of the potential physical benefits of restoration; these include pool depth and frequency, habitat complexity, woody debris, and sediment retention and quality of spawning gravel. Some projects in deeply incised channels have reduced the incision and increased bed elevation. Evaluations of biological responses have been confounded by natural variability of populations, duration of study, or length of stream examined. For example, determination of success based on spawning ground counts is problematic because of variation in ocean survival. However, longer duration and watershed scale studies have shown positive responses of juvenile and adult salmon (Johnson et al 2005). Burnett et al. (2008) conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles to examine the effects of large wood placement on salmonid abundance, growth, or survival, or on overall stream habitat complexity. Few publications were both relevant and met the rigorous standards outlined in their review. Although the review supported short term improvements in habitat complexity, the relationship to salmonid productivity was less definitive. Notable exceptions included Johnson et al. (2005) cited above, and Solazzi et al. (2000). An alternative approach to directly assessing biological response is to model potential changes in abundance or productivity. The Habitat Limiting Factors Model (Reeves et al. 1989, Nickelson et al.1992a, Nickelson 1998) was developed to quantify the carrying capacity of coastal streams for juvenile coho during the summer and winter. Use of this model is appropriate because most of the instream restoration projects in western Oregon were intended to improve habitat for juvenile coho. In this paper, we evaluated the physical response directly, and quantified the potential response of juvenile coho salmon by application of the Habitat Limiting Factors Model. Project effectiveness monitoring requires linking the restoration treatment to improved physical conditions for and biological response of salmon (Katz et al. 2007) and defining desired outcomes (Rumps et al. 2007). Because the WOSRP projects were designed to improve ecological and hydrologic stream function specifically for salmonids, we evaluated 1) retention of wood structures, 2) natural recruitment of additional wood, 3) increase in pool number, area, and depth, 4) retention of gravels and sorting of finer substrates, and 5) increase in channel complexity – secondary channels and off-channel habitats. Biological evaluation was based on estimates of the potential carrying capacity for juvenile coho during the overwinter life stage. The primary objectives of this evaluation are to test for these changes one year following treatment and 6 years following treatment. Secondarily, we evaluated the response of the projects by geographic location and position along the stream network. Previous WOSRP monitoring reports (e.g. Jacobsen and Jones 2003, Jacobsen et al. 2007) have focused on conditions one year following treatment, with relatively few sites assessed 2-3 years following restoration. Since 2003, the restoration projects have increased in complexity – more and larger pieces and jams, and treated more kilometers of stream length per site. The WOSRP program has provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of restoration projects over longer times and broader geographic scales than previously feasible. We have been surveying the restoration sites in both summer and winter to monitor changes in stream habitat and evaluate the success of treatments, such as the placement of wood and/or boulders and fish passage. Surveys are logistically easier to manage in the summer, but surveys conducted during the winter provide a more timely and accurate assessment of over-winter rearing potential for juvenile coho. Because we have paired surveys, we are able to assess the added value of revisits across seasons. We test the hypothesis that habitat characteristics at the restoration sites do not change from summer to winter. The findings permit us to modify the survey program if the information is duplicative, and use the resources in another fashion. Close

• 100. [Article] Willamette basin rivers & streams assessment

  This archived document is maintained by the Oregon State Library as part of the Oregon Documents Depository Program. It is for informational purposes and may not be suitable for legal purposes.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Willamette basin rivers & streams assessment Year: 2009 This archived document is maintained by the Oregon State Library as part of the Oregon Documents Depository Program. It is for informational purposes and may not be suitable for legal purposes. Title: Willamette basin rivers & streams assessment Year: 2009 This archived document is maintained by the Oregon State Library as part of the Oregon Documents Depository Program. It is for informational purposes and may not be suitable for legal purposes. Close