The Chumstick N. Rd. Stream Clean-Up and Restoration Project is located just upstream from the North Road Culvert Replacement Project that was implemented in summer 2009. This reach of the Chumstick Creek was greatly impacted by the Old Chumstick Highway, which ran adjacent to the creek, creating a steep bank riparian area and very limited riparian bench. Once the Old Highway was abandoned the site became inundated with noxious weeds, such as Reed canary grass, Himalayan blackberry and invasive Clematis that is choking out the limited riparian vegetation that does exist. The majority of native vegetation that is present, such as Stinging nettle, Thimbleberry, and Chokecherry provide inadequate fish and wildlife habitat, shade, or bank stability. In addition to weed infestation, the site became an easy target for disregarded debris (metal, empty barrels, glass, etc.).
The project consisted of removing streamside debris (metal, empty barrels, glass, etc.) along 250 feet of Chumstick Creek a total area of 17,000 Sq. Ft. A twenty cubic yard garbage bin was filled with noxious weed and trash that was removed from project site. Also, the project focused on the elimination of noxious weeds, (Himalayan blackberry, Reed canary grass), and re-establishment of nearly .35 acres (250' length x50'average width) of native riparian shrubs and trees.
Students (100) and teachers from Icicle Middle School, project site landowner, Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) crew, Department of Ecology staff, and Cascadia Conservation District (Cascadia) staff participated. The collaborative clean-up effort resulted in the filling of a rented 20 cubic yard garbage bin with noxious weeds removed and garbage that had littered the hillside. The same participants returned the following week on October twentieth and twenty-first to install the native vegetation. Cascadia staff was on hand to oversee the clean-up, noxious weed removal, and installation of native trees (188), shrubs (347), grass seed (5 lbs), live-stake willow spp. and Red osier dogwood cuttings (1100).
