Chalfant to share creek restoration story

Whychus Creek has been reborn, but how will its story flow from here?

That's a question that concerns Brad Chalfant, executive director of the Deschutes Land Trust. The Land Trust has devoted much of the last decade to building community partnerships, raising money, and organizing the physical labor required to return Whychus Creek to a meandering waterway full of life.

It's a great start, but it's only the beginning, Chalfant says.

"There's a perception that the creek is coming back to life, simply because a couple of non-profits and the Forest Service worked their magic," he said. "The reality is that the rebirth of Whychus Creek began far earlier when local citizens stepped up and took a stand. More importantly, the future is far from certain, and we continue to need active citizen involvement if we're truly to bring Whychus back."

Chalfant will bring the story of the restoration of Whychus Creek to The Belfry at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 25, to launch the 2018-19 Frontiers in Science lecture series, sponsored by the Sisters Science Club. 

Part of the 41 miles of Whychus Creek runs through Sisters on its way from Broken Top to its confluence with the Deschutes River near Crooked River Ranch. For many in Sisters, it's "our creek."

There's a fairly broad awareness in Sisters that Whychus Creek is on its way back, Chalfant says, but many people may not have much context for how it all started in the early 1980s, well before the founding of the Land Trust.

The creek's history is important to its future, Chalfant says.

"We're a long way ahead of most communities, and there's much to be learned both from how this all came to be, as well as from how the creek is responding to restoration efforts and techniques."

The Land Trust is currently working with its partners to restore six miles of Whychus Creek from the Whychus Canyon Preserve downstream to Rimrock Ranch.

The 930-acre Whychus Canyon Preserve protects four miles of Whychus Creek. Like other long stretches of the creek, the portion that passes through the Preserve had been straightened, pushed to the far edge of its valley floor, and bermed to keep it in place. This diminished fish and wildlife habitat in and along the creek.

In 2016, the Deschutes Land Trust and its community partners went to work. What was once a straight channel and dry meadow in Whychus Canyon became a multi-channeled creek with much better and more complex habitat for fish and wildlife. 

Whether the Whychus Creek restoration project can become a model for other communities is an open question. The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and the Land Trust recently hosted a visit from a team of international scientists and students, but the story of the creek's rebirth is far from over.

"Every community, creek, and watershed is unique," Chalfant points out, and continued community involvement is critical to the future of Whychus Creek.

As the Deschutes Land Trust's executive director, Chalfant is responsible for the leadership and direction of the organization, as well as for communicating the Land Trust's mission to the public. An avid backpacker, skier and cyclist, he was one of the original founders of the Land Trust and the first president of the board before becoming the executive director in 1997.

Chalfant's lecture, "The Rebirth of Whychus Creek-and Its Future," starts at 7 p.m. at The Belfry. Social hour begins at 6 p.m. with light fare, beer, and wine available. Admission is $5; teachers and students are admitted free. The Belfry is located at 302 E. Main Ave., Sisters.

For more information on the Sisters Science Club: www.sistersscienceclub.org; [email protected]