Fish Passage & Corridor Enhancement

Fish Passage & Corridor Enhancement

The wooded valley of South Fork Nine Mile Creek had been degraded by land use changes and stormwater inputs that led to channel incision, terrace erosion, and invasion of woody invasive species that had contributed to excess sediment and nutrient loading to the receiving waters of Bryant Lake. The degraded stream channel also affected the flow regime, which negatively impacted the aquatic community in the creek. EOR used a resourceful approach that incorporated harvested woody invasive species into log/ brush toe and toewood practices to protect the stream banks and to provide niche habitat for aquatic organisms. 

The project established cobble riffles to elevate the baseflow elevation to restore floodplain hydrology, riparian wetlands, and deep pool refugia at low flows. Other project inputs included non-game habitat features such as floodplain wetlands, snag trees, mammal and reptile brush pile dens, nest boxes, and pollinator plantings to enhance biodiversity within the wooded valley and riparian corridor