Elk Creek River Mile 5.6

When: Completed in 2020
Where: Elk Creek, a major tributary of the upper Rogue River

Objective: An in-stream and stream-side restoration project to improve water quality, enhance fish habitat, and increase native plant diversity

Historic management activities in the area behind the now-incomplete Elk Creek Dam have resulted in largescale modifications to Elk Creek’s mainstem channel and its side-channels, floodplain, and tributaries. Streams had been channelized, large wood had been removed from the active stream channel, riparian forests had been cleared, and riparian areas had been heavily grazed by … Read more »

Aunt Caroline’s Park Riparian Restoration

When: Completed 2020
Where: Aunt Caroline's Park, Shady Cove

Objective: A stream-side forest restoration project to improve water quality, increase native plant diversity, and increase community awareness of the importance of urban riparian areas

Indian Creek traces the northern boundary of Aunt Caroline’s Park, a 3.7-acre urban park located in the City of Shady Cove. The community regards Aunt Caroline’s Park as a valuable and beloved feature of the city, yet the stream corridor running along the park was suffering from long-term effects of urbanization. The creek had become … Read more »

Smith-Myer-Roper Fish Passage Improvement

When: Completed 2020
Where: Ashland Creek Park, Ashland

Objective: A dam removal project to improve fish passage, open up additional spawning habitat, improve juvenile fish survival, and improve the control of irrigation water diversion

The Smith-Myer-Roper diversion dam presented a major migration impediment for Coho Salmon and Rainbow Trout/steelhead in Ashland Creek, which has the coolest water in the entire Bear Creek watershed. This 2.5-foot-high concrete structure made it difficult for adult fish to reach two miles of valuable spawning habitat, and presented a complete barrier to juvenile fish … Read more »

Little Butte Creek Floodplain Rehabilitation

When: Completed 2019
Where: Little Butte Creek, a major tributary of the Rogue River

Objective: An in-stream and stream-side restoration project to improve water quality, enhance fish habitat, and increase native plant diversity

Little Butte Creek contributes to the seasonal drinking water supply of over 136,000 Rogue valley residents. It is also a priority stream for the recovery of threatened Coho Salmon. Unfortunately, due to land management practices, erosion is high, water quality is low, and Coho Salmon habitat is limited. To alleviate erosion, the steep banks were … Read more »

Wagner Creek Water Quality Improvement Project

When: Completed 2018
Where: Wagner Creek, a tributary of Bear Creek

Objective: A stream-side forest restoration project to improve water quality and increase native plant diversity

The Wagner Creek valley is a highly productive agricultural area that is rapidly being converted from orchards to small-acreage rural residential agriculture. Some management practices have produced conditions (narrow strips of native riparian vegetation, extensive areas of Himalayan blackberries, bare ground, manure concentration) that have reduced water quality and degraded fish habitat in Wagner Creek. … Read more »

Salt Creek Fish Passage at River Mile 1.6

When: Completed 2018
Where: Salt Creek, a tributary of Little Butte Creek

Objective: A dam removal project to improve fish passage, open up additional spawning habitat, improve juvenile fish survival, and improve the control of irrigation water diversion

Salt Creek is a small stream that meets Little Butte Creek near the community of Lake Creek. Despite its size, it maintains a steady flow of cool water throughout the summer, making it a very good place for cold-water fish like trout and salmon to rear. Unfortunately, nine diversion dams interrupt fish movement along roughly … Read more »

Beeson-Robison Fish Passage Improvement

When: Completed 2017
Where: Wagner Creek, a tributary of Bear Creek

Objective: A dam removal project to improve fish passage, open up additional spawning habitat, improve juvenile fish survival, and improve the control of irrigation water diversion

Wagner Creek is one of the most valuable fish-bearing streams in the Bear Creek watershed. Summer and winter steelhead utilize it, and there is strong potential for Coho Salmon to use it as well. The Beeson-Robison diversion dam, a 5.5-foot-tall concrete structure, presented a complete barrier to juvenile fish and impeded upstream migration of adult … Read more »

Sugarpine Creek Riparian and Habitat Complexity Restoration

When: Completed 2017
Where: Sugarpine and Hawk Creeks in the Elk Creek watershed

Objective: An in-stream and stream-side restoration project to improve water quality, enhance fish habitat, and increase native plant diversity

Sugarpine Creek is a tributary to Elk Creek and provides spawning and rearing habitat for Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Rainbow Trout/steelhead, and Cutthroat Trout. Stream habitat is not complex on this stream, largely because large downed logs are not present in the stream channel. Dense stands of blackberry along Sugarpine Creek on several properties inhibit … Read more »

Gilbert Creek Riparian Restoration

When: Completed 2017
Where: Gilbert Creek Park, Grants Pass

Objective: A stream-side forest restoration project to improve water quality, increase native plant diversity, and increase community awareness of the importance of urban riparian areas

Over ten years ago, the Middle Rogue Watershed Council (one of our precursor organizations) cleared out blackberries and planted dozens of incense cedar and ponderosa pine trees along the west bank of a stretch of Gilbert Creek lying between Gilbert Creek Park and two schools in northwest Grants Pass. However, with very little maintenance done … Read more »

Jones Creek Fish Passage

When: Completed 2016
Where: Jones Creek, a tributary of the Rogue River

Objective: A dam-removal and culvert improvement project to improve fish passage

Stream Restoration Alliance of the Middle Rogue – one of our precursor watershed councils – removed three fish passage barriers in the Jones Creek system during its tenure. Two additional barriers were scheduled to be removed during the time of Rogue River Watershed Council’s formation. One barrier was an unused eight-foot-high concrete dam on the … Read more »