Barton Stream Restoration

Project Description

The Barton Natural Area, owned by Metro Parks and Nature, is a 95-acre reserve along the Clackamas River that provides crucial habitat for native species and recreational opportunities for the surrounding community. After receiving voter-approved funding and a grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Metro turned to Biohabitats and project partners Waterways Consulting, Inc. to enhance native fish habitat, floodplain connectivity, and water quality along Barton Stream, a tributary to the Clackamas.

The site included 3500 linear feet of stream channel and a three-acre floodplain pond from a former gravel mining operation which served as insufficient habitat for the fish, beaver, and turtles living there. After securing permits, the project team salvaged fish, removed debris, and created structures to enhance habitat for federally protected species. After concrete remnants and an asphalt parking lot were excavated and removed from the area, floodplain and habitat log structures, large boulders, and native trees were installed in the stream by the skilled pilots and ground crew of Columbia Helicopters.

Biohabitats also implemented and maintained erosion control strategies and planted native vegetation to stabilize the shoreline and restore four acres of riparian forests along the Clackamas River. During the project, Biohabitats complied with county, state, and federal permit requirements. Part of a larger endeavor by Metro to protect the Clackamas River watershed, this project was an important piece of habitat restoration in Oregon.