Squaw Creek group seeks help

The Squaw Creek Stewardship Committee is looking for a few good men and women.

The group, which was recently established under the auspices of the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, established a primary role of developing connections between the community and the Squaw Creek stream system.

The committee plans to meet once each month and would like to expand its membership to include more local residents.

Squaw Creek, above Sisters, has been formally designated a national "Wild and Scenic River" by Congress.

The creek and its watershed are key components of the scenic and recreational makeup of the local area and support an area rich in biodiversity.

"It's so exciting that the Watershed Council has chosen Squaw Creek as a focus area," said Forest Service ecologist, Maret Pajutee.

According to Pajutee, the Watershed Council is also willing to assist the community in finding the funding to implement projects to enhance the Squaw Creek ecosystem -- projects that are expected to flow from the efforts of the new committee.

"Now all we need are people with a passion to heal and improve the landscape and waters," said Pajutee.

She pointed out that there is also significant local interest in Indian Ford Creek, a tributary of Squaw Creek that has its headwaters within Black Butte Ranch.

"We're hoping interested folks at Black Butte and in the Indian Ford area will come to the table and help us pick projects to pursue," Pajutee said.

Bruce Berryhill is one of the interested citizens on the new panel, and he is enthusiastic about the potential for positive change.

"At this point it's all forming," he said, "and the idea is to figure out who we are and what the goals are going to be in the Squaw Creek Basin."

Berryhill also said that Brad Nye, from the Watershed Council, is planning to make a presentation at the next meeting, which is scheduled to take place in less than two weeks.

Nye is expected to outline the present distribution of water rights in the system, with a view toward finding ways to keep more water in the creek.

At present, the creek's summer water flow below Sisters is so diminished by irrigation demands that, not only is water volume insufficient, but the water temperature becomes too warm to support some native species of fish.

One of the long term goals of several public and private groups is to return spawning runs of salmon and steelhead to the Squaw Creek system.

"It would be great to buy or lease more water for the creek," Pajutee said.

She also hopes to see new projects to improve wildlife and fish habitats.

"That's the whole purpose of this meeting," Berryhill said, "and we need lots of citizen input."

Citizens will have the opportunity to provide that input on Tuesday, April 1, at the Forest Service office in Sisters.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

Anyone who would like to provide input to the group is also welcome to attend.