Rehabilitating a River

Oregon Trout’s recently completed Wood River Channel and Wetlands Restoration Project is one of largest stream restoration projects in the U.S. Oregon Trout directed the excavation and re-meandering of the historic channel of the lower Wood River and returned river flow to the original riverbed. By 1960, this section of the Wood River was completely dredged and contained within dikes, and the adjacent wetlands were drained for pasture. Today, the lower Wood River once again meanders through its natural bed and flows into Upper Klamath Lake through its original delta. In addition, the project reconnected the river with its surrounding wetlands. After excavation, Oregon Trout replanted native vegetation along the newly restored two miles of river.

To complete the five-year, over one million dollar project, Oregon Trout collaborated with the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Klamath Tribes and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as a team of experienced stream restoration consultants. In response to the challenges presented by the wetland environment, the project pioneered a number of new restoration techniques, including floating platforms for the excavation equipment, which were made specifically for this project. These techniques promise to expedite future stream restoration efforts including Oregon Trout’s current project on nearby Thomason Creek.

The project restored fish passage between the Wood River and Agency Lake, opening up crucial spawning and rearing habitat for endangered Shortnosed suckers and for redband trout. The restoration also significantly lowered average stream temperatures, providing a refuge of cold, clean water for fish in the summer when Upper Klamath Lake suffers from high temperatures and poor water quality. The restoration of the adjacent wetlands will improve overall water quality and provide important habitat for a variety of native plant and animal species in the ecologically troubled Upper Klamath Basin.