Metolius River tree project underway

These days the Metolius River is all about fish, and not just any fish, but chinook salmon, bull trout and redband trout.

That's why the USFS and the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council have got their ducks all lined up and have begun placing over 900 trees in the river. Trees create fish habitat, and the restoration of a salmon fishery in the river is the top concern of fish biologists - and fly fishermen.

"There are almost enough hazard trees around Camp Sherman and Lake Creek Lodge to do the job," Mike Riehle said as he was explaining the restoration project to Philip Krohn, Camp Sherman resident.

"I just want to be sure this project isn't going to be like the 'boulder project' PGE did several years back," Krohn said, pointing to a series of large boulders in the river, out in front of his home. "That project just wasn't planned well enough, when it was done they left the bank torn up so badly that a lot of people around here got together and spent a lot of time healing it up."

"Yes," Riehle said, "and if I remember correctly, the Forest Service thought it was such a good idea they did more of it along the river."

"Yeah," Krohn replied, "but that vigilante stuff is something I just don't like to do."

Riehle went on to insure Krohn that the project underway at the Metolious will not be like those earlier fish habitat improvement projects, as the Metolious now enjoys a "Wild and Scenic" status and restrictions on what they can and cannot do are spelled out very clearly.

"The minute the machinery is gone, we'll be raking the area, replanting with native fescue grasses and shrubs to ensure the healing process is rapid and will prevent any erosion," Riehle said.

According to Riehle, the hazard trees will be pushed over, versus falling them with a powersaw; that way when the trees are placed in the river the roots will be able to hold them fast to the banks in the event of high water.

"We'll use some of those boulders to anchor the trees," Riehle said, pointing to the huge rocks poking above the surface. "We are not going to place any trees in the river that go from bank-to-bank. That idea was discarded right from the beginning of the planning stages."

Pointing to a huge old ponderosa pine that had blown over and into the river years ago, he added, "That big old pumpkin fell into the river years ago, and you can see how a channel was cleared around for boaters and floaters.

"We're not going to use anything over 21-inches DBH (diameter, breast height). Not only because trees that size would be too big, but smaller tress will lie flat on the water and vegetation will grow more quickly. Besides," he said with a big grin, "I took a fun-float on this stretch a while back to see what floaters and boaters had to contend with. I had no problems with trees or rocks, but I did tear the bottom out of my inflatable kayak on the concrete and rebar holding an old pipe that crossed the bottom of the river."

The restoring of trees along 9.8 miles of the Metolius, from Riverside Campground to Bridge 99, is a critically important element in the restoration of a self-sustaining Chinook salmon population. The spin-off will be additional waterfowl and other bird nesting habitat on small islands that will eventually form.

"It'll take time," Riehle said, "but when PGE gets that fish collector working, we should see a wild run of Chinook salmon in about two to three years."