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CENTRAL POINT Central Point's Arbor Day project will provide shade along Mingus Creek City's Arbor Day project will provide shade along Mingus Creek Comment By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 10, 2015 at 11:01 PM By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 10, 2015 at 11:01 PM » Social News CENTRAL POINT — Sixteen trees planted alongside Mingus Creek will protect fish and wildlife, improve the city's urban canopy and aid in noise and dust pollution near the busy Albertsons shopping center. City staff, local businesses and members of the Middle Rogue Steelheaders spent a few mornings this week planting the shade trees and installing watering bags to ensure the trees survive. The city's annual Arbor Day project was part of an effort to maintain its Tree City USA designation. The tree-planting project, Parks and Recreation manager Jennifer Boardman said, met a number of needs for both the city and state agencies. "This year, we decided to do the planting along Mingus Creek because it is a fish-bearing stream and an area that was a concern for the city and even some state agencies," she said. "We actually had a 4 1/2-inch steelhead caught in the creek for everyone to see when we were planting. We wanted everyone to see that, yes, this stream does have fish, and when you have a streambed that is completely blasted by the sun, the fish don't do very well." Mingus Creek, which runs to the west of Mountain View Plaza shopping center, is one of  seven streams that flow through the city and feed into Bear Creek. In 2 006, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife implemented a program that increased the monitoring and outreach of small streams and found coho and chinook salmon, juvenile steelhead, redside shiners and Klamath smallscale suckers in Mingus Creek. Mike Ono, interim environmental service coordinator for the city of Central Point, said the project helps protect fish and meet the city's need to maintain compliance with state guidelines for storm drains and air quality. The area near the store, before the trees were planted, consisted largely of grass and shrubs but few trees. "Once the trees start to grow, they will help to filter dust and pollen and reduce noise in the area," he said. All told, 16 new trees were planted, including varieties of Chinese pistache, Amur Maackia and Emerald Avenue hornbeam. All three varieties are good for streambeds and do well in areas with many hours of direct sunlight, Ono said. Kacie Harmon, branch manager for Rogue Credit Union in Central Point, helped plant the trees and volunteered a second time Thursday to help attach watering bags with Ono. Harmon said she enjoyed being included in the project and was pleased with the number of different ways the new trees would help the area. "I was really happy when the city asked for volunteers. Since we're a business right next to the area and since Rogue (Credit Union) is a big promoter of community service, it was a good way for us to be involved," Harmon said. "Planting those trees is only going to benefit everyone in the end. The creek is right behind where we're located, and there's pretty much just a little bridge and grass, but there were really no trees. This will make that area so much nicer, so it's a beautification thing as much as it will be helping the fish and providing shade." This was the second consecutive year the city has earned the Tree City USA distinction, granted by the Arbor Day Foundation for cities that commit to effective urban forest management, Boardman said. On the Web: www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa. Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. Email her at [email protected] By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 10, 2015 at 11:01 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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