Neal Creek Phase 3 Habitat Enhancement

Strategically placed large wood material helps reconnect 20 acres of land to the floodplain and creates complex habitat for threatened native fish species.

Oregon’s Neal Creek is one of the few clear, non-glacial water tributaries of the lower Hood River and contains a viable population of threatened winter steelhead, threatened coho salmon, cutthroat trout, and resident rainbow trout. Channel alterations, fill from private and county roads, and large wood removal led to entrenched channel segments along Neal Creek that were disconnected from the floodplain and had limited amounts of large wood and pool habitat elements.

Biohabitats helped the Hood River Watershed Group restore aquatic habitat along two miles of Neal Creek by returning a section to its historic location and adding approximately 620 pieces of large wood to the creek, resulting in the reconnection of over 20 acres of floodplain. Biohabitats managed the helicopter wood placement and ground-based construction, which included isolating the in-water work area to provide temporary downstream fish passage and create temporary access and staging areas at the project site to minimize impact to surrounding soils, vegetation, and existing irrigation infrastructure.

This strategy enhanced aquatic habitat complexity and diversity by increasing stream length and constructing discrete habitat features such as bank scallops and backwater features. Local pools were also excavated at large wood and salvaged boulder installations to create spawning and juvenile rearing habitat.

TAGS

• Construction
• Ecological Restoration