Holcomb Creek Large Wood/Riparian Enhancement
Project Overview
Basics
Holcomb Creek Large Wood/Riparian Enhancement
Post-Implementation
Large wood will be strategically placed in the channel to create and maintain complex instream habitat (pools, spawning substrate). In-channel wood will also aid in preventing channel incision and loss of connectivity to the stream's floodplain. The project also involves treatment of ~0.75 acres of invasive blackberry adjacent to the Holcomb Creek channel. Vegetation planted in the treated riparian area will be managed/maintained a minimum of two years or until established and free to grow. The project reach is directly upstream of Redland Road where a fish barrier culvert was replaced by Clackamas County several years ago. Holcomb Creek is a cool water tributary of lower Abernethy Creek.
2021
2022
2023
6/26/2024
Location
Organizations
| Funders | |
| Lead Implementer | |
| Other Partners | PGE, NOAA, Clackamas Soil & Water Conservation District, Willamette Falls Paper Company, Oregon Wildlife Foundation |
Contacts
Tom Gaskill - Greater Oregon City Watershed Council (GOCWC) (tom.gaskill@gocwc.org)
Performance Measures
Expected Performance Measures
| Large Wood Placement | Placement Density: 5 - 15 yrd^3/1000 ft Placement Location: In Channel | 712 lf |
| Riparian / Floodplain Invasive Species Removal Area | Side of stream / river: Both sides of stream | 1 acres |
| Riparian / Floodplain Native Planting Area | Side of stream / river: Two sides | 1 acres |
Reported Performance Measures
| Biennium Status | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Has the project been implemented? | Select the Biennium Relevant for your project | Total | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | Units |
| Yes | Implemented Biennium 2 | 1 | 1 | N/A | N/A | number |
| No | Proposed Biennium 2 | 2 | N/A | 1 | 1 | number |
| Large Wood Placement | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placement Density | Placement Location | Total | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | Units |
| 5 - 15 yrd^3/1000 ft | In Channel | 712 | 712 | 0 | N/A | lf |
| Total | 712 | 712 | 0 | 0 | lf | |
| Riparian / Floodplain Invasive Species Removal Area | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side of stream / river | Total | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | Units |
| Both sides of stream | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A | acres |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | acres |
| Riparian / Floodplain Native Planting Area | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side of stream / river | Total | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | Units |
| Two sides | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A | acres |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | acres |
Financials
Budget
| Comment: | None provided |
|---|
Reported Expenditures
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clackamas SWCD (CSWCD) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| NOAA Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants (NOAA) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $31,626.00 | $31,626.00 |
| ODFW - MATCH (ODFW) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Oregon Wildlife Foundation (OWF) | $0.00 | $1,071.20 | $3,928.80 | $5,000.00 |
| OWEB Focused Investment Partnership (FIP) (OWEB) | $0.00 | $19,731.00 | $39,985.20 | $59,716.20 |
| PGE Funding (PGE) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Willamette Falls Paper Company (Willamette Falls Paper Co.) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Grand Total | $0.00 | $20,802.20 | $77,040.00 | $97,842.20 |
| Note: | None provided |
|---|
Focal Species
Focal Species
Chum historically utilized lower Abernethy Creek and tributaries for spawning prior to the population being extirpated by a combination of factors including substrate and water quality. If chum are reintroduced or find their way back to the Abernethy Creek system the lower basin and lower reaches of tributary streams would be in their range of upstream migration.
The addition of large wood will improve spawning habitat for coho by aiding in retention of spawning sized gravel that currently moves through the system during larger storm events. Large wood will also improve overhead cover that benefits both adult and juvenile coho. Strategic placement of logs will also increase the amount and quality (depth) of pools favored by rearing juvenile coho.
Similar to chum, fall Chinook historically utilized lower Abernethy Creek for spawning and short term rearing prior to outmigrating to estuarine habitats. Fall Chinook have not been documented in spawning surveys over the past 10+ years but would be expected to benefit from actions in the lower basin and tributaries.
Pacific lamprey are found in spawning fish surveys throughout the Abernethy Creek watershed, particularly, a reach of Abernethy Creek upstream of Holcomb Creek. Adult lamprey are expected to benefit from instream restoration actions in a similar manner as other native migratory fish in the system (improved spawning and rearing conditions). Lamprey ammocetes will benefit from improved connectivity between the stream and floodplain where rearing ammocetes will lie in substrate.
The addition of large wood will improve spawning habitat for winter steelhead by aiding in retention of spawning sized gravel that currently moves through the system during larger flow events. Large wood will also improve overhead cover that benefits both adults and juveniles. Strategic placement of logs will also increase complex habitat (pools, undercut banks) within the stream channel where the primary rearing habitat for juvenile winter steelhead exists.
Project Types
Project Types
Macro-invertebrate monitoring site for the Clackamas Partnership
Outreach to private landowners in the lower Abernethy Creek watershed will be critical for identification and development of future restoration actions. GOCWC is hopeful this will be an excellent example of how a partnership between the council and private landowners can achieve mutual goals of managing riparian lands and associated streams.
Stream channel and riparian restoration of >1000-feet of Holcomb Creek. Large wood will be placed at strategic locations to encourage pool formation and assist in maintenance of existing instream features. Riparian restoration will include removal of invasive vegetation and establishment of native vegetation that will be a future source of large wood to the stream channel.
FIP Bienniums
FIP Bienniums
Project Details
Attachments
Holcomb Creek Large Wood pre and post project photo points
- Uploaded On
- 6/26/2024
- File Type
- Description
- A combined document showing pre and post construction photo points as well as in process construction photos.
Holcomb Creek budget (proposed draft)
- Uploaded On
- 10/1/2020
- File Type
- Description
- Preliminary cost estimate
Holcomb Creek_GoogleEarth
- Uploaded On
- 10/1/2020
- File Type
- KMZ
- Description
- .kmz file. Proposed wood placement locations (trees), invasive area treated and native vegetation planted (polygons)...
Holcomb Creek_Aerial View
- Uploaded On
- 10/1/2020
- File Type
- JPEG
- Description
- Aerial view of wood placement locations and riparian treatment
No attachments
Notes
No Notes entered.
External Links
No External Links entered.