Bear Creek Large Wood and Floodplain Restoration Project

Project Location:  The Bear Creek Large Wood and Floodplain Restoration Project is located in Bear Creek, a tributary to Meadow Creek, within the Starkey Experimental Forest of the LaGrande Ranger District, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. The project is located on  approximately 7 miles of Bear Creek (starting at approximate RM 1.5) and tributaries (T 4S, R 34E, S 3, 4, 9, 16, 17, 19, 20 & 21). The project is located within the Meadow Creek Watershed (1706010402); Middle Meadow Creek Subwatershed (170601040202); Reach 3 & 4; Union County; 45 degrees, 14’, 52” N, 118 degrees, 31’, 40.32” W.  

Project Objectives:  The objective is to improve summer steelhead habitat and downstream chinook habitat, specifically through improving or increasing the following habitat elements.

• Improve floodplain connectivity
• Improve water capture, storage and safe release within the floodplain
• Increase quantity and quality of pools within Bear Creek
• Increase fish cover within Bear Creek
• Increase habitat complexity
• Increase forage availability
• Increase residual pool depth
• Increase number of large and medium pieces of large woody debris in the stream
• Increase spawning gravel recruitment

Introduction:  Bear Creek is spawning and rearing habitat for Snake River Basin summer steelhead and redband trout.  It is located approximately 1.5 miles upstream of spring/summer chinook habitat within Meadow Creek. Summer steelhead and spring/summer chinook are federally listed under ESA as threatened species. This project will improve instream habitat and floodplain connectivity through log/boulder construction, drawbottom road removal, floodplain restoration, and planting.
  
Existing condition:  Bear Creek (reach 3 & 4), is a Rosgen B4 type channel with substrate dominated by gravel and cobble.  The valley bottom is forested, and riparian vegetation consists of shrub species, primarily alder and willow, with grasses and scattered sedges.  Conifers consist of lodgepole pine, fir, larch, and ponderosa pine.  Historic timber harvest has removed the large conifers from the valley bottom greatly reducing the future recruitment of large wood to Bear Creek.  An abandoned road that runs the length of lower Bear Creek was used to harvest and transport trees out of the area.  The road is barricaded and grown over and is not feasible for transport of logs. Extensive work and funds would be needed to reconstruct the road to allow large truck travel for log haul into the project site including a turn around point.  This would also result in considerable ground disturbance and vegetation removal as well as the requirement of extensive funds to restore the reconstructed roadbed.

A stream survey of Bear Creek was conducted in 1997.  Stream survey results indicate that there are few pieces of large wood and very low residual pool depth.  This lack of channel structure has resulted in simplified habitat with little habitat complexity. In addition, the streambottom road has constricted the stream channel, resulting in a narrow floodplain.  This has resulted in decreased water storage, increased peak flows, and reduced stream shade (in some areas).  Average bankfull width within the project area is approximately 21 feet.  Average stream gradient is 3%.  

Bear Creek is in an active cattle allotment on the Starkey Experimental Forest.  Starkey Experimental Forest’s livestock allotments are monitored more extensively then other allotments on the district.  Research on the livestock grazing use and system occurs and there are more USFS personnel assisting in the management of allotments.  To alleviate livestock pressure on Bear Creek, livestock are trailed, daily, out of Bear Creek.  During hot days, 25 – 30 livestock are trailed out of Bear Creek, daily.  Additional conservation measures include the following:  (1)  45% and 40% utilization of grass/forbs and shrubs, respectively; (2)  Periodic inspections and annual monitoring will occur to ensure grazing is meeting standards and on an improving trend (USFS will monitor); (3)  Maintenance of 41 off-site water developments will occur by the permittee to help keep livestock in the uplands.  (4)  Salt/minerals will be place .25 mile away from riparian areas.

The season of use for the pasture that includes Bear Creek is for 6 weeks in August and September.  The Biological Assessment for the Starkey Grazing Allotment has been provided for your review (refer to the project disc).  The Starkey Allotment Management Plan will be changed within next two years to allow for an earlier deferral grazing system that would occur from June 16 through July 31 and alternate every other year with the August through September timeframe.  The current livestock management system meets ESA requirements (refer to the attached concurrence letter from NMFS (hard copy only)).

To further alleviate livestock pressure on Bear Creek: (1) deciduous seedlings will be fenced in pods (five seedlings to a pod); (2)  large amounts of wood will be placed on the newly constructed floodplain; (3)   approximately .5 miles of drift fence would be constructed at both ends of the 260 road;  (4) a new livestock trail would be constructed on the ridge (adjacent to the 260 road and outside of the riparian area); (5)  On the lower 4.36 miles of Bear Creek, the livestock trail will be created as far away from Bear Creek as possible.  

Specific Actions:  Bear Creek Large Wood and Floodplain Restoration Project will add large wood to 33 selected sites over an approximate 4.36 miles of mainstem Bear Creek.  A total of 2.83 miles of upper Bear Creek and associated upper tributaries will have wood placed within the streams.  Floodplain Restoration will occur within 16 segments of mainstem Bear Creek, which occurs over 1.93 stream miles.  Four culverts will be removed from the project area.   The 260 road will be obliterated and recontoured, which includes .68 miles of upper Bear Creek.  Seeding, deciduous and coniferous planting will occur throughout the project area.  Approx. .5 mile of drift fence would be constructed at both ends of the 260 road.  A new livestock trail would be constructed on the ridge, outside of the riparian area of Bear Creek.   The entire project involves approximately 7 miles of Bear Creek and associated tributaries.