Project will enhance Metolius fish habitat

Beginning Thursday, the Deschutes National Forest will be adding large logs and downed trees into the Metolius River to restore fish habitat.

The work is part of an ongoing project that began in 2008 to restore large wood to the river to improve fish habitat. Nearly 1,000 trees have been placed in the river since that time. Monitoring of the previous placement of the large wood shows chinook salmon densities increasing in project sites by 300 percent.

Using heavy equipment, approximately 80 large logs and downed trees will be placed into the river at 20 different locations. While equipment is operating on site, short sections of the Metolius River Trails may be temporarily closed for 30 minutes at a time for public safety. Roads along the Metolius River in Camp Sherman may have up to 30-minute delays. Work is expected to continue weekdays through September 29.

Large logs and woody debris are an important habitat feature for bull trout, chinook salmon, redband trout and other salmonids. With this next phase of The Metolius River Large Wood Restoration Project, wood will be added to sites not previously restored to increase habitat for chinook salmon in the Metolius River. The same design measures will be used to protect boater safety, such as no placement of channel spanning logs.