Jesse HQ Forest Thinning and Floodplain Enhancement

Project Description

When faced with a densely wooded area in need of thinning, the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District recognized an opportunity to enhance forest and floodplain habitat while also improving regional water quality.

Biohabitats helped the District implement a strategy to thin a 6.5-acre Douglas fir plantation and use the harvested logs and coarse wood to create habitat complexity within the floodplain of a tributary of the Tualatin River that is surrounded by cropland.

Biohabitats began by cutting, skidding, and processing the harvested wood in a manner that limited impacts to live trees. Biohabitats constructed log structures with over 2000 pieces of timber harvested from the site. The structures, designed to supply the floodplain with large wood and complex habitat, were also crafted to complement future native riparian plantings and encourage beaver activity. Beaver will play an ongoing, active role in the system by enhancing riparian wetlands and thus downstream water quality.