North Fork Habitat Improvement

Project Narrative

Work completed at the three worksites included the following. Worksite #1 (Tourchan): Approximately 0.1 miles of stream was treated through the installation of seven structures, consisting of logs and boulders, engineered log jams, and channel (partial) spanning weirs. A pool was excavated at each structure. Three large boulders were placed in the stream with the expectation of scour to form three pools. Both streambank riparian areas along the 0.1 mile worksite were vegetated using native species for a total area of 0.5 acres. Worksite #2 (Boyne): A total of 0.3 miles of stream was treated. A total of eleven (11) structures were placed in the stream that included channel spanning weirs, large engineered log jams and small engineered log jams. Eleven pools were manually created at each structure. Approximately 100 feet (0.02 miles) of rip rap on the left bank was graded back to reconnect the stream to the floodplain. A total of 0.2 miles of jack fence was built to protect one acre of the riparian area from livestock. One acre and 0.6 miles of streambank riparian area (total for both sides of the stream) were planted with native vegetation. Worksite 3 (McLain): Along the 0.4 mile worksite, seven engineered log jams were constructed. A total of seven pools were created manually by digging out pools at the structures. Two acres (one acre on each side of the stream) of riparian habitat along 0.4 miles (0.2 miles on both sides) of stream were planted with native vegetation. Approximately 0.1 mile of off-channel habitat was improved with 0.5 five acres of off-channel habitat enhanced.
Plant species used for all riparian planting include the following: Black Cottonwood (Populus balsamifera), Booth Willow (Salix boothii), Choke cherry (Prunus virginiana), Coyote Willow (Salix exigua), Geyer willow (Salix geyeriana), Golden Currant (Ribes aureum), Woods Rose (Rosa woodsia), Twinberry (Lonicera involucrate), Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), Snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis), Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)
Two more projects on the North Fork have been funded through OSCs PCSRF grants: Project 023 13 SA will involve four work-sites. More work on the Mclain site will be completed through project 023 13 SA. Project 008 16 SA was recently awarded and will involve three different work-sites.