Habitat Restoration Project at Willow Creek
(photos © Kerry Richardson)
Local volunteers affiliated with the Trout Unlimited
organization have an ongoing fish habitat restoration project
underway in Sonoma County, California. Activities in 1996
included an on-site educational weekend, then a second weekend
of hands-on work. (New photo added Feb. 10, 1999)
The lower reaches of Willow Creek, near its confluence with the
Russian River, about a mile upstream from where the Russian
River meets the Pacific Ocean. Over the years this watershed
has been logged more than once for its redwood lumber, and
parts of it are still managed for timber production. The part of
the valley pictured above is in the California State Park system.
The creek is a traditional habitat of steelhead and coho salmon.
Methods used by fisheries biologists to survey and rate a
stream's suitability as habitat for salmon and steelhead are
demonstrated at a workshop held May 5, 1996. Here a plunge
pool is being measured by John Fort, an Americorps watershed
intern who works with the California Department of Fish and
Game, and David Raff, a Trout Unlimited volunteer.
Measurements at the pool include width, length, average depth,
deepest spot, percentage of overhead shade canopy, water
temperature, and composition of the streambed. An important
factor in success for hatching fish is how much the in-stream
rocks and gravel are imbedded in silt. The fish need clean
gravel beds to spawn successfully.
A section of the creek's bank lacking vegetation and subject to
erosion during high stream flow periods was selected for a
weekend project on October 25 and 26, 1996. The streambank
was smoothed and seeded, a wall of willow cuttings was woven
and anchored near the streambed, and matting was rolled and
nailed down. This is near the Pomo Canyon campground at
Willow Creek State Park.
At left, May 1996. At right, April 1997, around five months
after the willow wall was constructed. Upstream is to the left,
downstream is to the right. The willow wall is located where
the creek turns sharply to the right. The force of the water
striking the bank was causing erosion.
Below, the willow wall and creek bank photographed January,
1999, A little over two years after the restoration project.
http://www.tu.org/ is the website of the national Trout
Unlimited organization.