NEWPORT, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, and Siuslaw Watershed Council will be placing 500 whole trees in tributaries of lower Deadwood Creek the week of September 22 in order to improve stream habitats for coho salmon.

The project will supplement similar 2001 restoration efforts on upper Deadwood Creek – extending restoration treatments to the entire basin.

But according to Jason Kirchner, ODFW habitat biologist, this project will differ significantly in its size and scale.

“We’re working with 11 different landowners to place 500 trees in 14 miles of stream in five different tributaries,” Kirchner said. “A project like this requires a lot of coordination and we’re very fortunate to have received lots of cooperation from landowners and agency partners.”

The $1.1 million project will use helicopters to strategically place the large wood in Misery, Failor, Bear/South Fork and Green Creeks, and in the West Fork of Deadwood Creek north of the community of Deadwood.

Large wood is a critical component of salmon habitat, Kirchner said. Placing large wood in creeks where it’s been removed can help accumulate spawning gravel for coho salmon, and create a more diverse and complex habitat.

This project is a cooperative effort between the Siuslaw Watershed Council, U.S. Forest Service, ODFW, Deadwood community, Blachly Lane Power, and neighboring timber companies and private landowners. This project is partially funded by an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board restoration grant. 

This cooperation is a hallmark of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds and the Oregon Conservation Strategy, which brings together a wide range of public and private partners to promote the recovery of vulnerable fish populations.

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