Restoration project faces fish concerns

Local fishermen extoll the virtues of the Trout Creek Swamp area as a kid-friendly, pleasant recreational spot.

There is some concern that restoration plans for a 20-acre area encompassing the swamp will do more harm than good. In the early 1900s, cattle ranchers cut ditches in the area to channel multiple meandering streams into a few deep, narrow ditches, lowering the water table and creating better grazing conditions.

The Forest Service wants to return the area to swampy meadow conditions.

Kris Martinson, who is the team leader of the proposed restoration project, acknowledged that the impact on fishing opportunities has not been factored into her team's studies.

"Fishing quality is something we didn't consider," she said. "We'll throw it in there and figure out 'if not there, where?'"

The team leader acknowledged that filling in ditches and re-establishing natural, meandering, shallow stream channels through the interior of the swamp would probably degrade fishing in that spot, making it too shallow for fish to hold in the area.

However, she believes that replacing a culvert under the Forest Road (1520) that crosses the swamp area will make it easier for fish to travel through the area.

"It's one of the trade-offs, probably," she said.

Martinson emphasized that the Forest Service is in the earliest stages of planning a project, determining what needs to be done to restore the area and how restoration might best be accomplished.

A more detailed Environmental Analysis (EA) will be done, with opportunities for more public input.

According to Martinson, the importance of the project stems from the presence of native plants and small species of fauna that aren't commonly found in the Sisters area.

"If we lose it (the native swamp) those plants are probably not going to be in the area at all," she said.

Foresters worry that if the area is left alone non-native Reed Canary grass will choke out native species.

"It's a pretty standard noxious weed concern. Its area is expanding," Martinson said.

She noted that killing the grass with chemicals was only included as a possibility and acknowledged concerns about chemical herbicides getting into the water. Martinson said any use of chemicals -- and they might not be allowed at all -- would be highly restricted.

Martinson also noted that the project would probably not get rid of the Reed Canary grass entirely, since it has taken over a couple of large swaths in the area. Foresters will likely focus on containing the spread of the grass.

"We're probably never going to get rid of it," Martinson said. "I guess it's control rather than elimination."

For more information contact Martinson at 549-7730.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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