Rogue Ranch Side Channel Restoration

Critical habitat for native fish species of cultural importance to the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians is restored along the Rogue River.

The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians owns a large, working ranch along the mainstem of the Rogue River. The river provides critical habitat for the ESA-listed Southern Oregon Northern California Coast Coho, along with chinook, steelhead, and other native fish of cultural importance to the Tribe. When an eroding side channel of the river was nearing one of the ranch’s agricultural ponds and threatening to release its water into the Rogue River, the tribe turned to Biohabitats Construction for help.

Partnering with the Tribe and their design engineers from Inter-Fluve, Biohabitats Construction stabilized and restored the eroding side channel bank and installed large wood to further enhance aquatic habitat. The banks were stabilized and rebuilt using a combination of rootwads, riprap, fabric encapsulated soil lifts, and native riparian vegetation.

The initial design called for the installation of a temporary cofferdam to dewater and isolate the project area. Recognizing that the dam installation and removal would seriously disturb the existing channel, exacerbate turbidity, and delay construction, Biohabitats developed an alternative diversion and dewatering strategy: decreasing water into the side channel using hand-placed cobbles and sandbags and managing remaining flows with pumps. This allowed work to occur with minimal turbidity and disturbance. Biohabitats worked with Tribe fisheries staff maintain adequate flows such that fish and aquatic wildlife salvage was not necessary.

TAGS

• Construction
• Ecological Restoration