Erica Szlosek, External Affairs

The Lomakatsi Restoration Project and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been working together for the past four years to improve fish habitat along Cottonwood Creek, a tributary to the middle Klamath River which flows down the southeastern slopes of the Mt. Ashland Ski Area in Oregon.

This little-known watershed is especially important because it provides the last significant, perennial spawning habitat for anadromous fish before passage is blocked at Iron Gate Dam. Steelhead utilize much of this stream for spawning in the springtime, and younger fishes and resident trout rear throughout the watershed year-round. The Lomakatsi Restoration Project, a non-profit community organization based in Ashland, Ore., and the USFWS Klamath Falls Office contracted a watershed assessment in 2003 to evaluate opportunities for stream restoration.

Several problems were identified, including fish passage issues related to culverts, considerable erosion, as well as a subsequent loss of riparian vegetation and in-stream cover for fishes. It was determined that the most cost-effective means of fishery improvements was to replace an impassable culvert beneath  Colestin Road.

The Lomakatsi Restoration Project and the Service began a collaborative effort to replace the old culvert with a fish-friendly structure. Partnering with the Jackson County Roads Department, an engineering consultant and the adjacent private landowner enabled the organizations to stretch their limited resources. Together the group was able to finance construction of a small bridge. This bridge not only enables fish to pass upstream, but allows for stream processes to occur naturally and provides a safe roadway for local residents in this isolated community. Construction was completed in the fall of 2007 and monitoring will continue for several years to determine the effectiveness of the project.

In early November the Lomakatsi Restoration Project organized a planting day which brought 45 volunteers to Cottonwood Creek where they completed the rehabilitation work.

This project is only the first step in completing a more holistic watershed restoration plan for Cottonwood Creek that will include both riparian and upland restoration activities to create a healthier ecosystem in the Colestin Valley. This project is a great example of how public agencies and private groups can partner to deliver high-quality, cost-effective solutions for natural resource issues when they work toward a common goal.