This project is located on the beautiful Thyme Garden property on Ernest Creek, a tributary of Crooked Creek in the Alsea River watershed which provides habitat for coho and Chinook salmon, cutthroat and steelhead trout, and lamprey species.

This project will improve stream complexity and riparian and aquatic habitat conditions by adding large wood structures and planting trees to supply wood for the stream long term. Current wood levels in the stream are significantly below ODFW recommended values, and has reduced complexity, floodplain connectivity, and increased channel erosion. Restoration work in 2002 reconnected Ernest Creek into its historical channel but experienced channel incision again because the lack of wood in the stream and soft, sandstone substrate.

MCWC and partners placed a total of 16 large wood structures on 0.7 stream miles, planted conifers on two acres of riparian habitat to increase potential for long term large wood recruitment, and . Project partners are Thyme Garden, another local landowner, Georgia Pacific, Northwest Oregon Restoration Partnership, and Bio-surveys LLC.