Big Creek

Big Creek is an ocean tributary flowing directly into the Pacific Ocean, about 10 miles south of the town of Yachats.

The site, now owned by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), was degraded by land clearing and grazing, removal of large wood from the stream, invasive plants, and unnatural fill in the floodplain. These actions greatly impacted instream complexity, floodplain and wetland connectivity, and riparian vegetation; all factors that limit Oregon Coast Coho (OCC) and other salmonid production.

This project improved instream, floodplain, and wetland function by removing introduced fill in 14 acres of floodplain, instream material placement to remedy channel incision, and placement of large woody debris.

Wood placement includes 10 instream log structures and over 200 pieces on the Big Creek floodplain. This increased large wood loading will further increase connectivity and side channel development over time.

Riparian planting and seeding will improve the functioning of the riparian zone and enhance a pollinator corridor between two known reproduction sites for the endangered Oregon silverspot butterfly.

Project partners include OPRD, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, US Forest Service, Siuslaw SWCD, Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians.

Buckley Creek

Buckley creek is a direct ocean tributary roughly two miles north of Waldport, Oregon. The creek is occupied by native cutthroat trout, possibly brook lamprey and other aquatic and wildlife species. The site is an important freshwater wetland with beaver pond complexes and a diverse array of habitats. The Buckley Creek watershed area is roughly five square miles.

Previous Federal Emergency Management Agency projects replaced two 48” culverts on Buckley creek in the Silver Sands neighborhood upstream from the project area. These projects left one 48" culvert restricting flow on a private driveway. The culvert underneath this driveway is the last before the stream runs into the Pacific Ocean, just south of Driftwood Beach State Park. The owner dealt with flooding caused by the remaining 48" culvert in any heavy rainfall event.

To complete this project, we paired a willing landowner with an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board small grant. The culvert replacement was done in late September of 2016, installing a new 84" squash tube culvert to increase wetland connectivity, alleviate fish passage issues and reduce flooding on adjacent properties. 

New squash tube culvert providing fish passage at high flows.