Grande Ronde Model Watershed
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Grande Ronde From Model Watershed the 1114 J Avenue ▪ La Grande OR 97850 Archives ph 541-663-0570 ▪ fax 541-962-1585 Winter 2013 Board of Directors RRipplesipples Mike Hayward, Chairman The Flour Mills of Wallowa County Wallowa County Board of Commissioners by Lacey Moore, GRMW Mark Davidson, Vice Chairman in the According to the Oregon State Grande Ronde University Extension service, there were Union County Board of Commissioners R I V E R S U N I T I N G N E I G H B O R S . Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S F R O M T H E G R A N D E R O N D E M O D E L W A T E R S H E D 35,600 acres of wheat grown in Wallowa Laura Mahrt, Eastern Oregon University County in 1929, a figure nearly three times the amount grown in 2008. The harvesting Allen Childs, of grain for human and animal consumption Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Meadow Creek Restoration Project fueled the need for grist (grain) mills in the Dave Yost, Public Interest Representative county. The earliest mill, the Joseph Milling A Starkey Experiment Company, was opened in 1882, and the last Ted Taylor, Public Interest Representative by Jeff Oveson, GRMW to open, the Troy Roller Milling Company, Norm Cimon, Conservationist Representative Watershed. The primary objective was established in 1912. In all, eight mills with Chris Horn, ODFW; Mike Wisdom, USFS of the project is to improve summer of various sizes operated across Wallowa Larry Cribbs, Economic Development & Industry Pacific Northwest Research Station; Tim Del steelhead habitat by enhancing Representative Curto, OSU Agricultural Research Station; Joe County. The towns of Joseph, Enterprise, the quality and quantity of pools, Platz, USFS Wallowa, Lostine, Flora, and Troy all had Nick Myatt, Fish and Wildlife Representative increasing fish cover, and increasing sizeable mills. Two smaller working mills Since 1989, the Starkey habitat complexity. Habitat were located at Spring Creek and Parsnip Daryl Hawes, Private Landowner Representative Experimental Forest and Range (Starkey) on enhancements were achieved by Creek. The mills played a large part in Joe McCormack, Nez Perce Tribe USDA Forest Service (USFS) land 28 miles creating Wallowa County’s infrastructure; strategically placing large woody southwest of La Grande has been home to one citizen’s recollection was that “it was ABOVE: A photo of a burlap grain sack Kathryn Frenyea, Union Soil and Water Conservation District debris (LWD) in the form of trees, a multitude of research projects. Probably logs, and rootwads in combination not until a millrace was diverted from the used by Wallowa Roller Mills. Larry Nall, Private Forest and Landowners Wallowa River, a mill set up and a store result of the combustibility of flour dust- the most significant and comprehensive with large boulders used as ballast opened that the city of Wallowa amounted saturated air. Further to blame in causing Troy Abercrombie, EOU/OSU Student Representative research project, which has been simply to help secure the LWD. LWD to much.” Like the town of Wallowa, mill fires was the mills’ use of steam power Emily Spangi, FFA Student Representative labeled “The Starkey Project,” has looked installations occurred in 2012 and Lostine, Enterprise, and Joseph have flour and their largely wooden infrastructures. at the effects of ungulates on ecosystems, 2013. mills to thank for the establishment of the Both Wallowa County farmers including key questions about elk, timber, In the spring of 2013, first electrical plants in their cities. An and millers contributed a sizeable amount cattle, deer, recreational uses, and nutrient approximately three miles of advertisement in the November 11, 1909, of flour to the supplies sent to soldiers Staff Members flows on National Forests. Although streambanks were planted by hand, issue of the Wallowa County Chieftain overseas in World War I. Eventually, the the Starkey Project asked and answered including 8,500 deciduous rooted encouraging “Investors and Land Buyers” establishment of a national railroad system Jeff Oveson, Executive Director numerous questions, it was never really to move to Wallowa County reports that seedlings, 8,000 conifer seedlings, coupled with the development of economies intended to involve fish habitat restoration or Enterprise boasted the “best equipped of scale in large Midwest flour mills led to Lyle Kuchenbecker, Project Planner and 3,500 cuttings. The deciduous the evaluation and monitoring of restoration seedlings were protected as much flouring mill in Northeast Oregon.” the downfall of the local mill companies. Coby Menton, Monitoring Coordinator efforts. as possible from drought. Drought The flouring mills of this time The last mill to operate was the Wallowa ABOVE: A helicopter picking up rootwads for transport to the Jesse Steele, Field Biologist Meadow Creek, a tributary of were especially susceptible to fire, which Roller Mills, which shut down in 1960. protection involves placing sod at Meadow Creek project site for installation. Photo by USFS. is evidenced by the fact that fires destroyed Leigh Collins, Public Involvement/Education Coordinator the Upper Grande Ronde River and an planting sites, watering the trees twice three of the mills, and the Joseph Milling Information compiled from “The Forgotten important summer steelhead stream, runs during the first year, and adding soil and growth. Mason Bailie, Database Manager Company actually burned twice. The Flour Mills of Wallowa County” by Irene through Starkey for a length of more than moisture granules, shade cards, and tree How Do Ungulates Graze, and What vulnerability of flour mills to fire was the Locke Barklow Mary Estes, Office and Fiscal Manager eight miles. This stream has been enhanced mat placements. Small exclosures also were Effects Do They Have on Habitat with a three-phase habitat restoration project constructed on approximately 50 percent Lacey Moore, GIS Technician Restoration? implemented by USFS Fisheries Technician of the deciduous seedlings. In the spring of This newsletter is funded by the Joe Platz and his crew from the La Grande 2014, an additional 3.5 miles of stream will This habitat restoration work is Ranger District. The project was supported Bonneville Power Administration and be planted with 10,000 deciduous seedlings, not the only activity slated for Meadow Margaret McGladrey, by Bonneville Power Administration funds 12,000 conifer seedlings, and 5,500 cuttings Creek. Currently, Starkey is grazed by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 8 Ripples Editor secured through the Grande Ronde Model using the same techniques to assure survival cattle, elk, and deer. To study the influence [email protected] of differential grazing, fenced exclosures method. CHaMP is used were built along Meadow Creek in summer by many groups around LEFT: A Fish screen shot of and fall 2013. These exclosures, each the Columbia River basin GRMW Mobile how the moblie approximately one hectare in area (2.47 to evaluate the status and application acres), represent a type of passive stream trend of salmon/steelhead Simple Data Collection will look when Online! restoration commonly used on salmon and habitat. The ODFW by Mason Bailie accessed on a trout streams known as riparian fencing. has integrated CHaMP cellular phone. Changes associated with these exclosures into its ongoing habitat The Grande Ronde Model The user in the will be monitored in combination with the monitoring program in Watershed (GRMW) has managed view screen is www.grmw.orgwww.grmw.org LWD installations and plantings. the Grande Ronde basin more than 400 projects since our Mason Bailie. During the last two summers, and can use the method founding in 1992. Located at www. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to assess stream habitat grmw.org/projectdb, our project Adult salmon counts at the dams database contains documents and (ODFW) research biologists along with conditions both before Snake River Basin stream flows Eastern Oregon Agriculture Research Center and after restoration. information about each of these and USFS Pacific Northwest Research They will be able to projects. The GRMW would like to Snow and precipitation reports Station (PNW) personnel have collaborated characterize the stream’s be able to monitor the status of these on the development of monitoring and responses to placement of projects every three to five years in Habitat enhancement projects an efficient manner that would not With GRMW Mobile, our staff evaluation protocols to assess changes LWD, riparian plantings, ABOVE: Meadow Creek project area. Map courtesy of ODFW associated with the above-mentioned USFS and alternative grazing require extensive data entry. To achieve members are able to collect geospatial Meetings, activities, and events data in the field and view this data restoration activities. treatments. CHaMP is particularly well suited this objective, we created a mobile on their computers as soon as they Past issues of Ripples and more! Ted Sedell and Chris Horn of In support of habitat restoration, to monitor changes in a stream’s physical application called GRMW Mobile return to the office. They now have ODFW Fish Research are monitoring both rehabilitation, and conservation action condition due to its detailed topographic that handles all of the data entry an interactive project database that fish abundance and distribution as well as performance assessments and adaptive survey method. ODFW staff use a total and organization for routine project contains geospatial data which can be physical changes to the stream associated management requirements of the 2008 station (similar to what road and building monitoring. displayed in a web browser, Google Grande Ronde with habitat restoration. The ODFW Federal Columbia River Power System surveyors use) to survey the stream Earth, or ArcMap. monitors juvenile summer steelhead and Biological Opinion (FCRPS BiOp), the and its flood zone, then use computer Why We Built It This functionality also Model Watershed spring Chinook salmon as well as adult Bonneville Power Administration is software to convert the survey to a 3D allows for us to share more exciting steelhead spawning in Meadow Creek.