Restoration of a one half mile stretch of Trout Creek and the removal of a 1930s era dam will begin July 1 on a $2 million project on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest near the former Wind River Nursery north of Carson, Washington. In-stream work will occur during the summer months to lessen impacts to resident and anadromous fish like the Lower Columbia River Steelhead. The restoration of Trout Creek to free flowing status will benefit the Wind River run of Lower Columbia River Steelhead and other species.
The first step to the in-stream work includes the temporary diversion of Trout Creek around the worksite. For the duration of the summer construction period, a series of pumps and pipes will route the entire flow of Trout Creek around the area of construction activities. Once the stream is diverted, the dam will be dismantled, and a significant amount of sediment that has built up behind the dam will be excavated and removed. At that time, reconstruction of the stream channel will begin which includes building pools, gravel bars, riffles, and stream banks. The channel reconstruction will include use of river rock and whole trees that have been thinned out of overly dense forest stands in the watershed. Concrete from the dam will be broken down and re-used in other projects. Native plants from the project site have been salvaged and will be replanted on the site following construction work to initiate native revegetation of the site. Also, conifers from nearby fields will be transplanted onto the project site to accelerate revegetation efforts and to compete with, and shade out invasive weeds that have occupied the site for many years.
The Forest Service is managing the project with James Dean Construction as the contractor. Mid-Columbia Fisheries has committed Regional Fisheries Enhancement Program funding and is sponsoring four other grants to help the Forest Service fund the project. Additional funding organizations include: Bonneville Power Administration, Yakama Nation, American Rivers, Salmon Recovery Funding Board, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, Ecotrust.
“This project improves habitat and water quality in Trout Creek, and removes a significant barrier to fish migration,” said Nancy Ryke, Mt. Adams District Ranger, Gifford Pinchot National Forest. “Over the past fifteen years, the Forest Service has worked closely with partners to restore habitat throughout Trout Creek and the Wind River watershed. This is the largest single project we’ve done in this watershed-scale restoration effort, and we are extremely grateful to those organizations that have contributed and supported the restoration goals.”
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest completed an environmental impact statement in 2005 which addressed concerns associated with the dam such as water quality, fish passage and habitat. The analysis evaluated a range of possible actions to improve conditions for steelhead, and examined how those actions might affect recreational uses and other fish and wildlife species that live in the vicinity. The selected option recommended the removal of the 22- foot high dam, dredging and disposal of accumulated sediments, restoration of the stream channel, and alterations to the Hemlock recreation site.
