Restoring Water Quality and Fish Habitat on one of our Most Productive Steelhead Streams

Oregon Trout is working with US Fish and Wildlife (USFW) to design and implement a broad restoration project on lower Trout Creek that will restore vegetation, stream structure, and instream flow.

Riparian planting promises to return vital shade, riparian habitat, and bank stability to a mile of stream bank where past grazing and other land uses had compromised bank and stream health. In addition to the aquatic benefits, the restored riparian area will also provide potential habitat and cover for the diverse wildlife of the area, including mule deer, big horn sheep, great blue heron, bobcat, lynx, cougar, coyote, mink, otter, beaver, and a variety of songbirds.

Trout Creek is the largest east-side tributary to the Deschutes River below the Pelton-Round Butte dam complex, and is one of the most productive steelhead streams in Oregon. The creek drains a large basin with many tributaries (140 stream miles in total) and a great deal of potential steelhead spawning and rearing habitat. Trout Creek’s historical role as a place of significant steelhead production has been made more critical since completion of the Pelton-Round Butte Hydroelectric Project in the early 1970’s when passage to spawning habitat in the upper Deschutes basin was made inaccessible.

Eventually, the Trout Creek project will also include restoration of channel form and function by diverting water back into the creek’s natural channel by anchoring large woody debris in an artificial side channel, this side channel will become important back water habitat during high water and provide greater stream complexity. Lastly, Oregon Trout will be working with the landowner to convert from inefficient irrigation techniques to a system of sub-surface drip irrigation.

The future of restoration work on Trout Creek (and places like it) depends in part on the willingness of landowners to set aside riparian areas that can be restored to their natural state. Oregon Trout, its supporters, and its volunteers are ready to match that generosity with a willingness to supply expertise, materials, and labor to protect and restore riparian areas, water quality, and the fish that depend on them.