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BIENNIAL REPORT 2011-2013 North Santiam Watershed Council 1 In 2005 the North Santiam Watershed Council joined in partnership with Calapooia and South Santiam Watershed Councils, the Meyer Memorial Trust and Bonneville Environmental Foundation to model a collaborative approach between regional watershed councils in developing and implementing an adaptive restoration strategy. North Santiam Watershed Council We are local volunteers who act together with interested landowners to facilitate the restoration of habitat important to fish and wildlife and to support the economy and quality of life of our communities. Partnerships Are How We Get Things Done They allow us to leverage our programs for greater effect The North Santiam Watershed The North Santiam begins on the slopes of Mount Jefferson and nearly 90 miles later joins the South Santiam. Along the way, its flow is interrupted by high wall dams and is diverted for irrigation and municipal use. The river drains a land area of about 766 square miles. It flows into the Willamette River just south of the city of Salem. The upper reaches of the river are surrounded by steep forestlands that support local economies. Logging dominated the past. Today’s focus is on recreation and renewal. The lower North Santiam River flows through flat to gently rolling agricultural areas. Typically, the lowlands around the river are formed of sediment deposited by the river over many centuries. The Model Watershed Program, started in 2009, inspired us to seek many more opportunities to collaborate with private individuals, foundations, and government - whether local, state or federal. Salem Stayton Turner Jefferson Lyons/ Mehama Mill City Gates Detroit Idanha Mt Jefferson Three Fingered Jack 22 5 Willamette River North Santiam River The North Santiam Watershed 22 While the Calapooia-Santiam partnership illustrates how collaboration among watershed councils prove mutually beneficial, our strategic partnerships extend to federal, state and local agencies too. But the essential partnerships, those we absolutely depend on, are the ones we have with local landowners – the veritable grassroots from which our accomplishments grow.

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Page 1: North Santiam Watershed Councilnorthsantiam.org/wp-content/uploads/NSWC-2012-13...Slough along its lower reach. Prior to 2012, there were several large deep pools, excellent habitat

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North Sant iam Watershed Counc il 1

In 2005 the North Santiam Watershed Council joined in partnership withCalapooia and South Santiam Watershed Councils, the Meyer MemorialTrust and Bonneville Environmental Foundation to model a collaborativeapproach between regional watershed councils in developing andimplementing an adaptive restoration strategy.

North Santiam Watershed CouncilWe are local volunteers who act together with interested landownersto facilitate the restoration of habitat important to fish and wildlife and to support the economy and quality of life of our communities.

Partnerships Are How We Get Things DoneThey allow us to leverage our programs for greater effect

The North Santiam Watershed

The North Santiam begins on theslopes of Mount Jefferson andnearly 90 miles later joins theSouth Santiam. Along the way,its flow is interrupted by highwall dams and is diverted forirrigation and municipal use.

The river drains a land area ofabout 766 square miles. It flowsinto the Willamette River justsouth of the city of Salem.

The upper reaches of the riverare surrounded by steepforestlands that support localeconomies. Logging dominatedthe past. Today’s focus is onrecreation and renewal.

The lower North Santiam Riverflows through flat to gentlyrolling agricultural areas.Typically, the lowlands aroundthe river are formed of sedimentdeposited by the river overmany centuries.

The Model Watershed Program, started in 2009, inspired us to seek many moreopportunities to collaborate with private individuals, foundations, and government- whether local, state or federal.

Salem

Stayton

Turner

Jefferson

Lyons/Mehama

MillCity

Gates

DetroitIdanha

Mt Jefferson

Three Fingered Jack

22

5

Willa

met

te R

iver

North Santiam River

The North Santiam Watershed

22

While the Calapooia-Santiam partnership illustrates how collaborationamong watershed councils prove mutually beneficial, our strategicpartnerships extend to federal, state and local agencies too. But theessential partnerships, those we absolutely depend on, are the oneswe have with local landowners – the veritable grassroots from whichour accomplishments grow.

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Programs

North Santiam Watershed Council

The Council focuses on fish and wildlife habitat restoration projects that would:� remove fish passage barriers to provide access to migratory salmon and steelhead,� restore the complexity of fish habitat in streams by adding artificial log jams,� reconnect streams with their floodplains, and� restore native streamside (riparian) vegetation that will shade streams and eventually end up as

natural logs in and along the streams.

Linn County and the OregonDepartment of Transportation arecollaborating with the Council toreplace a culvert with a bridge onGates Bridge East Road. The culvertat the mouth of Mad Creek is abarrier to migrating steelhead andsalmon. Plans and permits are inplace and construction is scheduledfor Summer 2013.

Mad Creek

In 2011-12 the Council entered apartnership with the WillametteNational Forest and the DetroitRanger District. The ultimate goalsof our partnership, supported bythe National Forest Foundation, areto:

� stimulate natural resourcebased industries in NorthSantiam watershed; and to

� restore watershed health byreleasing stagnated timberstands.

In the project’s first year, theCouncil sought local businesses toparticipate in the effort to developa diversified forest industry aroundwatershed restoration in theNational Forest. Participantsexplored and evaluated both themarket opportunities and marketrisks associated with the projectconcepts.

BreitenbushDuring the Summer 2007 theCouncil started a project to replacea culvert that blocked river flowinto a side channel of the NorthSantiam River near the Hatchairstrip west of Stayton. The newculvert now allows year-roundwater flow and access for fish touse the side channel habitat that isso important to immaturesteelhead and salmon.

The culvert replacement projectpiqued the interest of neighborswho joined in the related riparianhabitat restoration project on theside channel.

Hatch Side ChannelIn 2011, the Council supportedmaintenance, weed control, andalso repaired culvert damage thatresulted from flooding the previouswinter. After a final year ofmonitoring in 2012, the Councilcompleted our work on the Hatchside channel restoration project.

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The Council has been able toleverage partnerships with the USForest Service, the NationalResource Conservation Service andthe USDA Conservation ReserveEnhancement Program to expandour floodplain habitat restorationwork on Snake-Deford.

We continued our work onfloodplain habitat restoration onthe Snake-Deford tributary that lieswest of Mill City.

In 2012, we developed a projectwith the property owner for aquarter mile stretch of thetributary that lies immediatelyabove the confluence with theNorth Santiam. The projectincludes planting native trees andshrubs on three acres beside thestream. We will add engineeredlog jams, replace an undersizedculvert that blocks fish access toside channel habitat, andreconfigure stream banks to helpcontrol the severe erosion that hasoccurred along this segment of thestream.

Snake Deford

Cold Creek

Cold Creek is also known as LoganSlough along its lower reach. Priorto 2012, there were several largedeep pools, excellent habitat foryoung salmon and steelhead, thatwere blocked off for at least part ofthe year by undersized culverts.Today, those culverts have beenreplaced with fish friendlystructures that are passable tojuvenile and adult migratory fishand remain open year-round.

The native trees and shrubs that weplanted eventually will grow toprovide an overstory for shade anda source of logs and limbs that willcontribute habitat complexity ofthe stream so that migratory fishcan thrive. Meanwhile, the dozenengineered log jams included in ourproject will serve the samepurpose.

The Model Watersheds

The Council’s habitat restorationefforts on Stout Creek, Bear Branchand Valentine Creek are all part ofthe Model Watershed Projectsupported by the Meyer MemorialTrust and the BonnevilleEnvironmental Foundation, begunin 2009.

Our early efforts on the ModelWatershed Project really took holdon Stout Creek. And since 2010,we’ve concentrated onmaintenance of the habitatplantings on more than six miles ofthe creek.

Since 2011 the Council hasprepared and planted ten acres ofnative habitat along ValentineCreek and an additional five acreson Bear Branch.

***

Riparian Habitat Plantings on Stout Creek

Cold Creek

Snake Deford

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North Santiam Watershed Council

July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013Financial Statement

Revenue

Expenses

Steering Committee

Suzette Boudreaux — ChairJim Crawford — Vice ChairJohn Caruso — Secretary / Treasurer

Jon Tucker, Brad Nanke,Bill Sanderson, Mike Kroon,Brent Stevenson, Tom Fencl,and Lawrence Schwabe

Council Coordinator

North Santiam Watershed Council284 E Water StreetStayton, Oregon 97383

For additional information, contactRebecca McCoun-Travers at 503-930-8202or by email: [email protected]

79%

9%

5%7%

<1%

Total Revenue $587,526

Federal $50,741

State $466,595

Local $30,158

Foundation $38,567

Donations $1,465

63%16%

8%

7%6%

Total Expenses $587,526

Committed (2013-15) $93,194

Habitat Restoration $370,409

Capacity $49,030

Fiscal Sponsorship $39,898

Education & Outreach $34,995