Federal Columbia River Power System
Tributary Habitat Program — Projects
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Catherine Creek Project (CC-37 Meander Reconstruction Project)
Catherine Creek is a 32-mile long tributary of the Grande Ronde River in Northeast Oregon. It is home to a population of Snake River spring/summer Chinook and steelhead that biologists believe is critical to restoring these listed species. Logging roads, ranching and diversions have changed the creek’s natural floodplain, eliminating side channels, natural meanders and vegetation that offer refuge and food for salmon.
The project objectives for the 0.75-mile segment of Catherine Creek included protection of habitat, enhancing floodplain connectivity and in-stream structural diversity and complexity, and enhancing riparian habitat. The project increases water quality, reduces excessive sediment and high water temperatures, increases riparian vegetation, and creates complex fish habitat and stream channel, in particular large complex pools and large wood structures. These improvements are a result of the stabilization of both bank sides with large woody structures and riparian plantings, as well as reconnection of back water habitat/oxbows, the creation of new stream channel, and enhancement of existing stream channel. The project is placed under a conservation easement program which will benefit the ESA fish populations and habitat and was completed in August 2012.
| Related Documents | |
| 12/2012 | Catherine Creek Reach Assessment PDF 13.14 mb |
| 02/2012 | Catherine Creek Tributary Assessment HTML |
Partners
Union County Soil and Water Conservation District
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Bureau of Reclamation
Bonneville Power Administration
Related Links
Federal Caucus (www.salmonrecovery.gov)
Reclamation's Tributary Habitat Program
NOAA Fisheries 2008/2010 FCRPS Biological Opinions
Contact
Al Simpson
Grande Ronde Subbasin Liaison
(541) 633-0180
jsimpson@usbr.gov
Bureau of Reclamation
Pacific Northwest Region
10507 North McAlister Road, Room 4
La Grande, OR 97850
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