Clear Creek Phase 2

The placement of large wood adds structural complexity while improving juvenile rearing and adult spawning habitats for native fish along 3 miles of Oregon’s Clear Creek.

Clear Creek is a large tributary that supports threatened and endangered salmon species in Oregon’s lower Clackamas River, including the last significant population of late-run coho salmon in the lower Columbia River Basin. Biohabitats helped Metro enhance the complexity of aquatic habitats along a 3-mile stretch of Clear Creek while improving juvenile rearing and adult spawning habitats for coho salmon, steelhead, and other native fish species through the strategic addition of large wood material.

Biohabitats managed the procurement, transport, and staging of 150 large logs and rootwads and tipped over 100 small slash trees on site to build bundles of slash. Biohabitats managed crews from Columbia Helicopters to rig and fly the logs, rootwads, trees and slash bundles into Clear Creek. The material was placed at the direction of Inter-Fluve engineers to create in-channel and off-channel habitat and habitat complexity for native fish, and to encourage and maintain natural channel processes. Biohabitats also cleaned and cleared the site after helicopter operations.

TAGS

• Construction
• Ecological Restoration