The Trout Creek Watershed Restoration Project’s primary goal is to increase the abundance of ESA listed Middle Columbia River DPS Summer Steelhead.  The status of the summer steelhead population in Trout Creek, within the Deschutes River eastside DPS is currently rated as a viable population (Oregon Mid-C Steelhead Recovery Plan, 2010).  The confidence for making this population assessment “viable” is largely the result of the BPA funded programs associated with this project.  Past project work, the continued maintenance and monitoring of this work, along with the proposed future habitat restoration to be completed in future years will hopefully put the MCR DPS up for consideration of de-listing.
  
This project satisfies the goals listed in the Deschutes River Sub-basin Summary (Nelson, 2001), that portion of the draft Deschutes Subbasin Plan (2004) that addresses Trout Creek, and the Trout Creek Watershed Assessment (2003).  This project satisfies the objectives of Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives 34 and 35 of the 2008 FCRPS Biological Opinion calling for protection and improvement of tributary habitat based on biological needs and prioritized actions.  This project also follows the habitat strategies and actions found in the Oregon Middle Columbia (Mid-C) Steelhead Recovery Plan (2010).

Following the goals and objectives of the numerous plans and documents will ensure the viability of the summer steelhead that utilizes the Trout Creek Watershed.  Continued work in this area will promote healthy populations of numerous species of fish and wildlife, while simultaneously promoting the use of sustainable agricultural practices on private land.  Successful agriculture and extraordinary habitat can and does coexist in the Trout Creek Watershed, and needs to continue well into the future for all parties involved if there is to be true “restoration.”  The work done here also has a huge impact on the region’s financial income.  The Deschutes River is one of the single largest recreational summer steelhead fisheries in the United States, with over 50,000 angler days per season, bringing millions of dollars annually to the region.  Trout Creek accounts for approximately 25-33% of the entire run of wild summer steelhead found in the Lower Deschutes River Subbasin (ODFW).  Sustaining or better yet, improving this run of fish is critical to the economy of central and north-central Oregon.

We plan to accomplish these goals with the implementation of demonstration projects located throughout the Trout Creek Watershed on private lands.  Priority areas have been identified in previous studies and assessments.  We give preference to these areas when selecting projects to implement, but it should be noted that all of our work hinges on the permission and desire of the landowner.  Some landowners are more willing than others.  Since the inception of this project in 1998, there have been massive gains in trust and willingness throughout the watershed and we have recently gained access to numerous acres that were previously off limits to us and our work.  This gain in trust is a huge benefit for all when it comes to the restoration of our habitat.  The demonstration projects we plan to implement include:  Habitat Improvement Projects that include in-stream work, riparian and floodplain enhancements, fish passage improvements, upland vegetation management, spring developments and conservation easements such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).  We have been very successful in the improvement of irrigation practices throughout the watershed, and there are still more opportunities that exist in Trout Creek.  Improving efficiencies of irrigation systems is critical to the overall reduction of water withdrawals.   Also, improving individual points of diversion, not only aid the irrigator, but hugely benefit the species of concern, juvenile summer steelhead.
  
These demonstration projects should continue until all of the habitat, including upland, riparian, and in-stream, can sustain ample fish and wildlife populations and summer steelhead can become de-listed.  This may take many years for all of this to come to fruition, however we are making great strides in the right direction and each and every year, we gain trust and access to habitats that were previously inaccessible.

The Jefferson SWCD has successfully implemented many large scale projects in the past decade.  This has accomplished at an extremely low cost to the BPA.  We have been able to keep costs very low because of our in-house knowledge and experience.   This, combined with our partnership with ODFW – Trout Creek Project, we can put conservation on the ground at the lowest costs seen anywhere in the Columbia Basin.  Combined with our ability to secure funding from other sources to help offset costs from BPA, we have been an extremely efficient project over the years.  Since project inception in 1998, we have almost doubled the funding we received from BPA for habitat improvement. We don’t even charge for administration fees on our contracts, a unique quality for sure.

This fiscal year, the costs of the proposed actions are shared heavily with landowners, PGE, and ODFW.  BPA will only fund approximately seventeen (17) percent of the habitat improvement work JCSWCD does in the Trout Creek Watershed this fiscal year.


Planned Projects:

All projects are designed to improve fish habitat, water quality and quantity in the Trout Creek basin.  Projects within the riparian zone that directly impact the stream will be conducted during the in-water work period (July 1 - October 31) as dictated by ODFW guidelines.  All projects will be in compliance with all pertinent state and federal law, regulations and executive orders.    


Middle Trout Creek Habitat Improvement Project:

This is going to be a large scale restoration project located on Trout Creek downstream of Ashwood.  The project will consist of channel reconstruction/berm removal and floodplain shaping.  Fish habitat and streambank structures will be constructed using juniper trees and rootwads from the site.  A buried 6” PVC pipeline will be installed beneath the newly constructed streambed to provided irrigation water to fields.  And finally, a bridge will be constructed at the lower end of the project area.  Equipment used will include a tracked exactor, a medium sized bulldozer, and an off road dump truck.  The excavator will be used to pull the junipers out of the ground and then load them into the dump truck, and then transported to the creek.  The dozer will be used to smooth out the berms and shape the floodplain and rough out the new channel.  The excavator will be used to place the log structures and fine tune the channel.  I assume a crane will be brought out to set the bridge onto the poured abutments.  All disturbed areas will be re-vegetated with native seed and the area within the CREP boundary will be planted with native trees and shrubs as well.

Little Trout Creek Habitat Improvement Project:

This is going to be a large scale restoration project located Primarily on Little Trout Creek located north of Ashwood.  The project will consist primarily of fish habitat structure placement with some streambank and floodplain shaping.  Fish habitat and streambank structures will be constructed using juniper trees and rootwads from the site.  A bridge will be constructed at the lower end of the project area.  Equipment used will include a tracked exactor, a medium sized bulldozer, and an off road dump truck.  The excavator will be used to pull the junipers out of the ground and then load them into the dump truck, and then transported to the creek.  The dozer will be used to smooth out the berms and shape the floodplain.  The excavator will be used to place the log structures and slope the vertical banks back away from the channel.  All disturbed areas will be re-vegetated with native seed and the area within the CREP boundary will be planted with native trees and shrubs as well.

Trout Creek Vegetation Improvement:

This project will plant native trees and shrubs by hand and native seed in designated riparian exclosures throughout the Trout Creek Watershed.  Planting sites will be areas with low existing plant densities and will be planted in clumps with an overall density of 300-500 plants per acre.  Tree planting will occur in sites previously surveyed for cultural resources.  Areas that have been freshly scoured with recent high water events may be re-seeded with native seed mix.  Areas that have been treated for noxious weeds will be a priority for this work element. We will locate areas with exposed soil or little vegetation and broadcast native seed in those areas within the Trout Creek Watershed.  These sites may coincide with sites treated through the Trout Creek Noxious Weed Program.  Re-vegetating the disturbed ground will help stabilize the soil and reduce overall erosion and sediment entering the streams/waterways in the watershed.  

Trout Creek Noxious Weed Program:

Continue the noxious weed program for the Trout Creek Watershed for the 5th year, the third in conjunction with the Jefferson Co. Public Works and Jefferson Co. Weedmaster.  Collaborate with the County provide them with herbicide to administer the Trout Creek Noxious Weed Program.  The County will disperse herbicide to approved landowners and also apply the chemical as well.  The Weedmaster has more jurisdiction than the SWCD so we thought it was better to include the county in the program.  The SWCD will continue to apply chemical to known weed patches throughout the watershed.  The program will attempt to control noxious weed species that are found on the county's "A" list.  These include Scotch Thistle, Spotted Knapweed and Yellow Starthistle.  This year, we will try and incorporate a biological control on some specific patches to minimize herbicide use and manual labor.  This will be monitored and possibly increased in the future if successful.  We will ensure the proper reporting from the SWCD and the County in order to provide accurate accounting of herbicide use to EC.