Watershed Restoration

Streams on National Forests in the Pacific Northwest provide much of the best remaining habitat for native fish species.

The emphasis for restoration is to identify and fix causes of problems and not symptoms. Therefore, stream restoration typically starts outside the stream channel, from the ridge-tops working downhill, correcting any erosion/slope stability and road related problems (including fish passage and drainage). Riparian and floodplains are usually next, replacing structure/roughness, planting, and/or recovering wetland/off-channel features. Once all these factors have been addressed, restoration of channel features, such as channel form (cross-section profile, length/meander pattern, amount and types of pools) and/or structural attributes (logs or boulders) are considered. An excellent example of channel restoration is Enchanted Valley, where a reconstructed meandering channel has replaced an eroding ditch in a coastal wetland area.

"Restoration emphasizes identification and recovery of critical processes and function. Rock Creek, in a burned, logged and grazed area on Mt. Hood National Forest, shows stream and riparian recovery following fencing, planting and in-channel treatments from 1984-1999" (Photos above: 1984 Pre-project, 1986 Post-project and Recovery by 1999).

Aquatic Habitat/watershed restoration is guided by a regional restoration strategy (follow this link for the Executive Summary). For an overview of whole watershed restoration accomplishments, with the State of Oregon and other partners, see Whole Watershed Restoration Joint Venture Report 2006-07(12 MB pdf). Refer to Forest Specific for additional examples of stream habitat restoration, and Monitoring for examples of evaluations of stream protection and restoration practices. For additional examples of whole watershed restoration see Whole Watershed.