August 19, 2009
Large woody material is critical for enhancing fish habitat, increasing instream biological diversity, and maintaining natural stream processes. Until recently, the South Fork of the Ten Mile River, a salmon-bearing stream in Mendocino County, was generally devoid of large woody material.
In 2007, Trout Unlimited's (TU) North Coast Coho Project (NCCP) began working with Campbell Timberland Management LLC (CTM) to install large woody material along South Fork Ten Mile River (SFTM). This cooperative effort aimed to cost-effectively address historic impacts of stream clearing while increasing habitat conditions for coho salmon and steelhead trout.
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for salmonids.
Research has shown that adding large woody material to the stream system provides a number of benefits for salmonids. Therefore, the focus of this project is to develop a cost-effective approach to accumulating significant amounts of large wood into the stream to increase and enhance salmonid habitat values. The accelerated recruitment method utilizes an opportunistic approach by cutting existing riparian timber directly into the stream channel. In some cases, the method uses equipment to place nearby salvage material into the channel, all without using traditional anchoring materials.
During this project, some cut logs were intentionally wedged into existing riparian vegetation to minimize movement over time. These logs are referred to as "fixed logs." Fixed logs help collect and retain other large and small woody material. Additional cut logs, referred to as "transport logs," were not wedged but rather were intended to be carried and deposited by high winter flows.
The accelerated recruitment approach was so cost-effective that after completing the first summer of implementation on the 3.5 mile reach identified in the original proposal, more than half of the budget funds remained. This allowed project partners to expand instream enhancement efforts to an additional 5.9 miles directly upstream of the original reach.
In short, a total of 309 pieces of wood were introduced into the 9.4 mile project reach, of which 246 are logs and 63 are rootwads. The average length of all logs introduced into the project reach was 61 feet, while the average diameter was 38 inches. Through a series of calculations, it was determined that approximately 241,833 board feet of logs, the equivalent of 55 logging trucks, were introduced into the SFTM project reach. All logs, rootwads, and boulders were provided by CTM as cost share. The final cost for implementation per piece of wood was $236, or $7,750 per mile.
Throughout implementation, each piece of wood was labeled with a unique number to allow future tracking of the individual piece. This allows for data collection and analysis of both the overall retention and how the size and type of wood may influence movement throughout the system. While some data collection continues, preliminary data show a high level of retention with little movement of fixed logs and optimal repositioning
of transport logs. Pool frequency and depth as well as shelter values have increased. Overall canopy levels, or shade provided by streamside trees, were not negatively affected.
Through the South Fork Ten Mile Large Wood Enhancement Project, the NCCP and its partners have successfully enhanced habitat for coho salmon and steelhead trout within almost 10 miles of stream for a relatively low cost. With the rising costs of restoration, it is our hope that this approach may assist other individuals and groups to stretch restoration dollars even further. This approach will soon be transferred to nearby watersheds to aid in regional recovery efforts along the Mendocino Coast.
North Coast Coho Project
The South Fork Ten Mile River Large Wood Enhancement Project is part of Trout Unlimited's North Coast Coho Project. Since 1998, the NCCP has engaged Mendocino Redwood Company LLC and Campbell Timberland Management LLC to restore habitat for salmonids. Together the two timber companies manage almost 400,000 acres in Mendocino County, plus significant acreage in at least a dozen key watersheds or subwatersheds. NCCP recently expanded its efforts into Humboldt County when it added a new partner, Humboldt Redwood Company LLC, who acquired over 200,000 acres from Palco in 2008.
Over the last 10 years, TU and the NCCP partners have improved or eliminated over 450 miles of logging roads, removed seven major fish migration barriers, reconnected 17.5 miles of stream, and installed over 250 instream structures to improve coho salmon and steelhead habitat.
For more information on TU's North Coast Coho Project, contact Lisa Bolton at lbolton@tu.org. Lisa will be leading a tour at this year's Coho Confab. See Confab article for more info.
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TOC for Forest & River News, Summer 2009