Construction of a boulder grade control structure on the Wood Creek Project Photo: Bill Eastwood

Eel River Salmon Restoration Project is working on an interesting project on Wood Creek, a small tributary to the South Fork of the Eel River, which enters the Eel from the west near the Dean Creek Resort. This project, when completed, will increase habitat complexity and salmonid carrying capacity in a promising steelhead stream.

In 1965 the Army Corps of Engineers removed all the wood in the lower half mile of this stream, leaving a bedrock stream with few pools and little inner gorge riparian vegetation. This section of stream is incised from 25 to 50 feet into a river terrace. The steep banks and redwoods on the terrace provide a moderate amount of shade, keeping water temperatures cool. A sprinkling of juvenile steelhead is always present in the few good pools. A 10-foot high logjam above this reach blocked fish passage and backed up gravel for several hundred yards.

The idea for this project came from noting the increase in habitat complexity caused by the recent construction of a rocked ford for heavy equipment. The two-foot high boulder weir backed up gravel about 50 feet, scoured out a nice pool, and promoted riparian vegetation along both banks. The eighteen boulder grade control structures constructed for this project will provide similar increases in quality habitat. In addition we have placed about 100 boulders in clusters to increase habitat complexity and provide cover. A small number of redwood logs were also incorporated into the structures. A total of about 360 tons of one- and two-ton rock was used in this phase of the project. About 50 tons of broken concrete, provided by the landowner, was also used to stabilize two reaches of steep,failing streambank.

Equipment access was good. A 966 Loader was used to deliver rock to the streambed, usually by dumping it down the bank. A Case 680 extendahoe was used to dig footings and place the rock.
The upstream logjam is currently being modified, using a chainsaw winch. This will release gravel to be trapped by the newly constructed structures and allow adult salmonids to migrate further upstream.

The good heavy equipment access allowed us to heavily emphasize the use of boulders to construct massive structures that will provide improved habitat conditions for many hundreds of years.

There is an intriguing possibility that coho salmon may eventually also populate this stream.

For more information go to hvaughn@northcoast.com


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