2019 Goose Creek Native Revegetation and Restoration
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
2019 Goose Creek Native Revegetation and Restoration Written by: Joe Dahlke, Katie Fischer, Michaela Fishback, Marissa Lane-Masse, and Steven Pearlman Riparian Restoration Environmental Leadership Program Conducted by the University of Oregon’s 2019 Environmental Leadership Program Website: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/2019riparianrestoration/ Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………….....2 2.0 Introduction: About the Project…….……………………………………………...……….2 2.1 History and Background of Whitewater Ranch…………………………….…………2 2.2 Study Area…………………………………………………………………………….3 3.0 Stewardship Summary……………………………………………………………………....4 4.0 Monitoring Summary………………………………………………………………………..5 4.1 Photopoint Monitoring………………………………………………………………...5 4.2 Individual Plant Monitoring…………………………………………………………...8 4.3 Turtle Monitoring……....…………………………………………………………….12 4.4 Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring…………..………………………………….12 4.5 Stream Temperature Monitoring……………………………………………………..14 4.6 Pollinator Monitoring……………………………………………………..………….17 4.7 Spotted Wing Drosophila Monitoring….…………...…….…………………………19 5.0 Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………..20 5.1 General……………………………………………………………………………….20 5.2 Photopoint Monitoring……………………………………………………………….20 5.3 Individual Plant Monitoring………………………………………………………….20 5.4 Turtle Monitoring…....……………………………………………………………….21 5.5 Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring………………………………..…………….21 5.6 Stream Temperature Monitoring……………………………………………………..21 5.7 Pollinator Monitoring….…………………….…………………………………….....22 5.8 Spotted Wing Drosophila Monitoring…….……………...………………………….22 5.9 Planting Plan…….….………………………………………………………………..22 6.0 Future Plant Health and Concerns……………………………………………………......22 6.1 Potential management action………………………………………………………...24 7.0 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………...……...24 8.0 Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………....25 9.0 References…………………………………………………………………………………...25 10.0 Appendices………………………………...……………………………………………….27 A. Individual Plant Monitoring Plot Map………………………….....……………..27 B. Plant Species List…………….………………………....………………………..27 C. Plant Maps………………….…………………………..…………………….….29 D. Map of Pollinator Transects……………………………………………………...31 E. Stream Temperature UTM and Description of Locations……………...………..32 F. Photopoint UTM Log………………...…………………………………………..34 G. Photopoint Monitoring Archive…………..……………………………………...36 H. Macroinvertebrate collection chart………………………………………………43 1 1.0 Executive Summary This report details the progress of a restoration project carried out at the riparian zone of Goose Creek, a tributary of the McKenzie River, in Leaburg, Oregon. The creek runs through Whitewater Ranch (WWR), a small farm that grows different varieties of blueberries organically, and uses sustainable practices to annually harvest Douglas fir timber. Due to pollution of the creek caused by previous land-owners, the creek was an unstable habitat for native plants and animals. Restoration was first implemented in 2014 and has been monitored and expanded each year since. Monitoring tasks have included tracking the growth of native plantings, resident pollinator populations, temperature changes in the creek, and relative degree of sensitivity of resident macro- invertebrates. Overall, the restoration work has been successful. Native plants have exhibited healthy growth around the creek, providing shade and habitat, and pollinator populations have increased. Other indications of stream health are slower in their progression (such as stream temperature), and are yet to appear to a significant degree. Going forward, restoration tasks should continue to expand down the creek and monitoring should continue to be carried out following any changes to the work currently being done. Fencing should continue to be installed to a greater extent in order to protect the plots, and plantings should be further filled in. 2.0 Introduction: About the Project 2.1 History and Background of Whitewater Ranch Over the past 100 years, alterations to the landscape such as urbanization, intensive agriculture, livestock grazing, building of dams, and the intentional change of stream and river paths by humans have all led to compromised stream banks and ecosystems in riparian zones in the McKenzie River watershed. Before 1885, when the area of land was first inhabited by white settlers, the Kalapuya and Molala peoples inhabited the land near what is now Goose Creek and Leaburg. They used the region as a corridor of travel between the mountains, valley, and the coast, as well as a site of other daily activities until the late 1770s. Over time, the property changed hands a number of times until purchased by the Oregon and California Railroad, where it was then sold to various settlers who raised a variety of different crops, such as wheat and carrots. The earliest record of a settler- colonialist to purchase the property for homesteading was in 1885. The property was first used for dairy production in 1935. In 1949, a change in ownership resulted in the harvest of lumber from the surrounding foothills and grazing of cattle around the lowlands and riparian area. After a number of different sales of the property, 1,800 acres of WWR was finally purchased in 1983 as a family partnership farm growing Christmas trees, raising cattle, and harvesting timber. For a few years the owners tried olive production, but ultimately turned to blueberries as olives did not survive a hard freeze one year. The ranch currently raises 83 acres of organic blueberries, a few dozen acres of Christmas trees, and 1,600 acres of harvestable timber, 2 while replanting the harvested sections of forest. Much of the cattle grazing during WWR’s history removed native vegetation from around Goose Creek, reducing the biodiversity of plants, which ultimately led to the decline in fauna, flora, and the overall stream health of Goose Creek. The current owners of WWR, Jane and Jim Russell, promote and encourage the sustainability and mitigation of impacts of commercial agriculture on their land by not only participating in various certifications fostering sustainability and stewardship, but also by sponsoring a partnership with the University of Oregon’s Environmental Leadership Program. This partnership enables teams of student leaders to restore the riparian zone of Goose Creek that runs through the center of the property adjacent the blueberry fields, which in turn provides habitat for a number of native species (Russell et al. 2018). 2.2 Study Area Figure 1: Map of the study area and surrounding area. Located 5 miles outside of Leaburg, Oregon and 25 miles outside of Eugene, WWR is an 1,800-acre portion of privately-owned land (Figure 1). According to the Köppen climate classification system, it is part of the Western Oregon Cascades lowlands and valleys ecoregion and occupies a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, where the climate is characterized by rainy winters and dry summers (Arnfield, 2009). WWR lies at an elevation of 700 feet above sea level to around 1400 feet above sea level, average summer temperatures range from 48º to 83º F, and average winter temperatures range from 34º to 55º F (Western Regional Climate Center 2016). Average annual precipitation totals 65 inches across an average of 165 days of the year. 3 The farm itself is located on the banks of the McKenzie River, a tributary of the Willamette River. The river drains over a watershed basin of 1,300 square miles, of which 96% is forested, and under 4% is occupied by agricultural or residential use (McKenzie Watershed Council 2010). Goose Creek, the site of our team’s focus, is a stream-fed creek originating in the foothills above the blueberry fields. This portion of the creek provides habitat for native fauna such as cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii), western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata), beaver (Castor canadensis), mink (Neovison vison), brook lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus), and several species of macroinvertebrates. The soil at the study area is 84.3% Jimbo silt loam, which is composed of coarse-loamy isotic and mesic soil. This soil type forms in low stream terraces and high floodplains. It possesses a dark, rich color due to the high volume of organic material and its porous composition that allows for drainage and water storage (SoilWeb). Soil such as this aids in the survival and vigor of both native and non-native species. Restoration work at WWR aims to regenerate the native plant species population in order to establish a biodiverse natural environment to support habitat for native species of fauna and flora, and the Russell’s organic farming practices. Plants introduced by past teams to the riparian area include Douglas spiraea (Spiraea douglasii), tall Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium), Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus), Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia), clustered wild rose (Rosa pisocarpa), mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii), oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), sitka willow (Salix sitchenis), Red-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea), Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) and red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum). Other plants historically native to the area include Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), red alder (Alnus rubra), big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), Western red cedar (Thuja plicata), vine maple (Acer circinatum), trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus), and Western sword fern (Polystichum munitum). In order to manage the aggressive invasive species that currently dominate the creek, including reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea)