Tuesday, May 27, 2008
337

Dam removal and stream restoration of agency creek, oregon

Heather L. Ray, US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1936 California Ave, Klamath Falls, OR 97601, Graham Matthews, Graham Matthews & Associates, PO Box 1516, Weaverville, CA 96093, and Shannon Peterson, Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust, 700 Main St. #201A, Klamath Falls, OR 97601.

Dam construction in the 1940s altered flow regimes and degraded aquatic habitat within Agency Creek, southwestern Oregon.  A restoration effort to improve aquatic and riparian habitat and ensure fish passage to the upper watershed was initiated in 2002.  Restoration objectives included dam removal, restoration of channel geometry, creation of fringe wetlands, construction of bio-technical channel banks, expansion of pool habitat, increase in substrate complexity, and improvement of wetland and riparian vegetation.  Results from pre and post construction monitoring show, at year three, planted stock exceeded the vegetation criteria of 30% survival and 50% cover.  Macroinvertebrate monitoring reveals higher densities of EPT taxa in the restored reach versus the control and an improvement in the density of pollution tolerant taxa in the restoration reach.  Fish survey results indicate an increase in abundance and life stage diversity of Redband trout after restoration activities.   A decrease (1-3º C) in water temperature from pre to post restoration was observed at the location above the dam.  Temporal photo point monitoring illustrates continued growth of vegetation, especially with woody vegetation, at the project site during the fifth season following construction.  These results demonstrate a positive biological response of Agency Creek to restoration activities.


Web Page: dam removal, restoration, monitoring

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