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41 °F 5 Day Forecast Wednesday, December 10, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 5, 2003 Bear Creek watershed restoration will benefit salmon, trout habitat ASHLAND — Salmon and steelhead trout will soon be able to swim higher in the Bear Creek watershed thanks to a $67,800 grant awarded to the Headwaters environmental group. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Pacific Grassroots Salmonid Initiative awarded the funds as part of a learning, monitoring and restoration project in the watershed as part of a collaborative effort. In addition to Headwaters, organizations involved include the Talent Irrigation District, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, AuCoin Institute at Southern Oregon University, Ashland Watershed Partners, Rogue Basin Technical Pool, Rogue River National Forest and the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. "We are excited that so many organizations, agencies and individuals are pulling together to help Bear Creek’s fish and wildlife and improve water quality," said Headwaters executive director Tonya Graham in a prepared statement. "This collaborative project will help restore aquatic habitat and make the Bear Creek watershed a better place to live," she added. The grant will pay to remove fish passage barriers on Neil and Wagner creeks. Advertisement The ODFW will oversee two screening and passage projects on lower Wagner Creek. "These are the last two permanent fish passage barriers that we know of in the Wagner Creek drainage," explained Rich Kilbane, fish screening and passage program coordinator for ODFW’s southwest region. "This new work should open up the entire drainage to coho salmon and steelhead," he added. Earlier this year, Oregon Lottery Funds paid to remove Talent’s Wagner Creek water treatment plant dam. As part of the watershed enhancement project, the TID will build and operate fish ladders at its Neil Creek and upper Wagner Creek diversions. "We already have provided for passage at our Lower Wagner Creek diversion," said Jim Pendleton, TID Manager. "This grant allows us to ensure fish can get past the temporary diversion structures that we use during the irrigation season on Upper Wagner and Neil creeks." Southern Oregon University’s AuCoin Institute will evaluate the effectiveness of these various passage and screening projects. In an effort to identify salmonid strongholds and detail threats to survival and recovery, the grant also will support the work of a Southern Oregon University graduate student to determine the conservation status of native fishes throughout Bear Creek watershed. "The fisheries in Neil and Wagner creeks will get a big boost from this," said Jack Williams, a senior fellow at the AuCoin Institute. "As a result of this work, we should be able to get steelhead and salmon up Wagner Creek into national forestland where they haven’t been for a long, long time," he said. "Historically, this has been really good spawning area for steelhead." The grant will also help support efforts by Headwaters and the Rogue Valley Council of Governments to develop a citizen-based monitoring program. "We have a good handle on point sources of pollution. Now the challenge to society is control of non-point pollution sources." noted Craig Harper, water resources program manager with the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. Harper said, "Raising citizen awareness is the only way to reduce non-point pollution." Non-point source pollution comes from rain and snowmelt runoff that picks up various natural and man-made pollutants as it moves over and through the earth. The work is expected to start next summer. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times