DESCRIPTION
The Pomeroy Conservation District will use this grant to
restore native woody riparian species, specifically, willow and cottonwood,
along 4 miles of Pataha Creek. The project is located 15 miles downstream of
Pomeroy, WA, between the Hwy 127-Hwy 12 junction where Archer Rd meets Hwy 12. Restoring
native woody riparian species will benefit steelhead by addressing many of the limiting
factors that have been identified in Pataha Creek, including: fine sediment, lack
of large woody debris, habitat diversity, habitat quality, temperature and
riparian function. This project is proposed in a MSA, priority protection reach
for ESA listed mid-Columbia Steelhead and is identified as a priority in the
Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan for SE Washington (2011) and three year work
plan. Reed canary grass, an invasive
perennial grass, is the dominant riparian vegetation along Pataha Creek, and has
promoted an incised and simplified channel with cohesive vertical banks that
limit the creek's ability to create complex habitat. Restoring native woody
vegetation will mitigate the influence of reed canary grass, create a source of
woody material to promote more complex habitat and provide an important source
of forage for beaver populations and promote beaver activity. This project will
also enhance existing restoration structures designed to increase floodplain
connectivity in order to improve the success of riparian plantings by
increasing access to water resources.
The sponsor planted 2000 willow stakes along Pataha Creek in the spring of 2018 in 14 distinct patches along the margins of the creek. A total of 0.5 acres of riparian area was planted in 2018. Due to intense competition by reed canary grass and browsing by beaver the sponsor returned to the planting sites in the summer of 2018 and mowed the grass around the plantings, installed landscape fabric and fencing. Willows protected from reed canary grass and beaver browsing were growing well in the summer of 2018 but the grass started to shade the willows out and deer damage also hampered growth even within fenced areas. By the spring of 2019 less than 5% of the willows were surviving. The sponsor removed all the fencing prior to 2019 spring floods to prevent fencing being washed. Future work in this portion of Pataha Creek will be extremely challenging to recover stream and riparian function in this important tributary to the Tucannon River and historic spawning and rearing area for Endangered Species Act listed Snake River steelhead, Chinook, and bull trout.
The project area has been updated from the original metrics to reflect the actual project work area. The project area entered at the beginning of the project reflected the extent of the first phase of the project where beaver dam analogues and post assisted log structures were built to help aggrade materials and create habitat complexity. The original intent of this project was to plant a select portion of the phase 1 project area where structures successfully aggraded materials for long-term stability.
Tucannon River Population
