Camp Polk project on target

A recent visitor to the Deschutes Land Trust's Camp Polk Meadow Preserve remarked that Whychus Creek and the Mississippi River have something in common: They were both channelized to control flooding. Today the Land Trust is undoing some of that work by restoring sections of Whychus Creek to its historic condition.

In the case of the Mississippi, flood control and navigational issues were the principal concerns that resulted in alteration of the natural landscape. Navigation has never been an issue on Whychus Creek; and, while we may not think of the Whychus as being a destructive, flood-prone river, that hasn't always been the case. In December of 1964, extreme climatic conditions combined to cause catastrophic flooding throughout Oregon. Sisters was one of the areas impacted; and Whychus Creek - or Squaw Creek as it was then known - was the culprit.

In those days, conventional wisdom was to separate the flood threat from its floodplain. So, like they had on the Mississippi, the Army Corps of Engineers studied how to reduce the threat of flooding along Whychus Creek. The end result was an assault of bulldozers that confined eighteen miles of creek to a deeper, straighter, and narrower channel that would be less likely to overflow into the surrounding countryside.

A problem, however, is that in isolating waterways from flood plains and wetlands, artificial channelization changes the adjacent landscape, as well as the land downstream. As it happens, the Mississippi has recently become a showcase for why it is not always a good idea to mess with Mother Nature.

Unlike today's flooded communities along the Mississippi, Sisters isn't threatened with floods from the berms and altered channels carved out in the 1960s; but there have been some serious unanticipated effects.

Over time, the modified channels sped up the flow of water, and the creek carved deeper into its new bed - in some places all the way down to bedrock. The creek now flows several feet below its floodplain; and, in places where it has tried to meander, it has cut into the bank and swept away the topsoil. With the floodplain isolated above the creek, the meadow failed to serve as a spongy water reservoir. When that happened, the water table dropped significantly, resulting in the loss of wildlife and fish habitat.

Hydrology and habitat science have come a long way in the half-century since Whychus Creek was modified, and the Deschutes Land Trust is working to restore the natural stream habitat. Two years ago, after more than a decade of planning, the Land Trust embarked on an ambitious and groundbreaking - literally and figuratively - plan to turn back the clock in Camp Polk Meadow.

"We want to support more diverse habitat," said Sherry Berrin, land steward for the Land Trust. "The dry landscape that was out here wasn't beneficial for much of anything."

So, after years of research and cooperative planning, the Land Trust brought in bulldozers and earth movers to reshape the landscape. After researchers found the historic stream bed, the old channel was recreated. More than 30,000 cubic yards of rock and soil were moved in the process. Nearly a thousand downed logs and trees were placed in the restored channel to help hold the soil in place, and another 700 are scheduled to be placed later this year.

To date, 170,000 plantings of native plant species have been placed over the reconstructed landscape. Tree species reintroduced include alder, birch, cottonwood, chokecherry and willow. In addition, dogwood, wild rose, elderberry, spirea, sedges, rushes and grasses have been planted.

So far, the plantings have experienced an astonishing 96 percent survival rate - far better than anticipated. It will be another year before the full flow of the creek is redirected into the new channel, and the restored habitat will have that much more time to establish itself before the real test begins.

Problems were encountered along the way, but the Land Trust rolled with the punches. "Changes were made as circumstances dictated," said Berrin. Flexibility has been a key to success thus far, and the project appears to be on track.

Next spring, perhaps in March or April, Phase II of the project will begin, and the creek will be permanently diverted into the restored channel. "The exact date will depend on the weather, snow, and conditions at the time," Berrin said.

The second phase will involve rerouting another 1,100 feet of the creek at the upstream end of the preserve. When complete, the project will lengthen the creek in the preserve by about 2,500 feet. The new channel will add about 12 new pools and create at least 800 feet of side-channel habitat and a minimum of 35 new acres of wetland and riparian plant communities.

The changes are expected to be yet another boost in the ongoing efforts to restore salmon and steelhead populations to the region. Berrin points out, however, that "These changes will support not just fish but all the species out here." Large mammals such as deer, mountain lions, marmots and otters have all been reported on the site.

Beavers, the natural world's engineers, have already moved in and become very active on the preserve. Beavers are a very important link in the process of building and maintaining the hoped-for riparian habitat that is expected to transform near-desert lands back into the rich habitat that existed when Camp Polk was established by a U.S. Army Reserve unit from Polk County in 1865.

Scientists around the country will be watching to see how this landmark restoration project turns out, and it's all happening right here in Sisters Country.

The majority of the preserve itself will remain as dedicated wildlife habitat and be closed to the public for the foreseeable future. A viewing and information area is open to the public; follow entrance signs on Camp Polk Road. However, the closed portions of the preserve may be visited on scheduled Land Trust tours. To sign up for a tour or for further information contact 541-330-0017 or http://www.deschuteslandtrust.org.