STATE PROJECTS:

Many of our state projects are an on-going partnership between Trout Unlimited and the Deschutes Basin Land Trust, based in Bend, Oregon. Our focus is restoration and rehabilitation of many properties and land holdings that are owned or managed by the land trust. One of those is the Metolius Preserve, which is bordered on the north by Lake Creek, a major spawning tributary to the Metolius River. Historically, Sockeye Salmon used Lake Creek as part of their spawning run from the ocean, into Suttle Lake and it’s tributaries. The salmon run was decimated with the completion of the Round Butte / Pelton Dam complex on the Deschutes river in the late 1950's. However, recent events and a new technology could potentially bring the fish back to the Metolius, Lake Creek and Suttle Lake for the first time in over 50-years. More information about the Deschutes Basin Land Trust and the "Back To Home Waters" campain and the Metolius Preserve is available HERE.

Clakcamas River T.U., Tualatin Valley T.U. and many other T.U. chapters from around the state of Oregon have attended these events to help with restoration of Lake Creek, clearing brush, removing invasive plant species and re-planting native plants and grasses. Another objective is to reduce the fuel load in the forest around Lake Creek, which has been brought on by many years of fire suppression. Downed trees, limbs and brush have been cleared and stacked, native plants have been re-introduced next to the stream and old diversion dams have been removed. Working with the Deschutes Basin Land Trust and their volunteers, we have also developed interpretive trails and performed hiking trail maintenance along with habitat restoration work directly in the creek itself.

Our first two projects also included a presentation by Jeff Perin, owner of A Fly Fishers Place in Sisters, Or. Jeff gave two very informative talks around the campfire about the Metolius River, it's storied history and fly-fishing techniques for the wild rainbows and bull trout that inhabit the river.

[ CLICK ON PICTURES BELOW FOR A LARGER VIEW ]

OCTOBER 2005 & JUNE 2007

Location: Squaw Creek at Rimrock Ranch

Squaw Creek, now known as Whychus Creek, is an important trout and steelhead spawning tributary of the Deschutes river. Following the 1964 December flood, Squaw Creek was channelized throughout much of its length. Since that time much of its riparian zone had been impacted by grazing, water diversion and irrigation removals from the stream, causing very low water levels and elevated in-stream temperatures. The Land Trust is working on several sections of the creek to restore flow and native habitat. The land trust worked with the National Grasslands to obtain private ground at Alder Springs, which is at the mouth of the creek, to provide protection and an educational easement. It has established the Camp Polk Meadows Preserve for restoration of the creek's original bed and riparian areas. Another section of the creek runs through Rimrock Ranch. Our work this fall furthered the partnership between T.U., the land trust and Gayle and Bob Baker, owners of the ranch. The Land Trust has been working with the Bakers to establish a conservation easement and to help them restore the portion of Squaw Creek that runs through their property. We helped with clearing of juniper on the uplands in an area that will be restored to a ponderosa pine forest. Those junipers were then drug down the canyon to creek side and were used as anchors to stabilize an eroded section of bank. Over time those anchors will catch and hold sediment allowing the regrowth of riparian plants and will provide cover for trout and smolts. The Bakers were wonderful hosts. They provided a great lunch on Saturday and showed us the progress of work that had been done in the past. Our second visit to the ranch focused on removal of envasive plant species and planning more stream restoration in the upper reaches of the ranch.

JUNE 2004: Forest Service Project, Side Channel Restoration, Upper Clackamas River

AUGUST 2006: Upper Clackamas River Basin, Fish Ladder Rebuilding and Maintenance

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