gee creek watershed restoration - WSU Clark County Extension ...

2005 - Whipple Creek Stream Assessment (A model for similar Gee Creek conditionsand improvement needs):• Comprehensive field inventory conducted - identified and GPS-mapped 544watershed features over 25 stream miles or roughly the upper watershed - forstormwater planning and identifying stream habitat improvement projects.• >300 watershed improvement projects identified, including 23 projects needingimmediate referral and 12 priority areas for preservation• 8 types of features assessed:o Stormwater outfallso Severe erosion areaso Impacted stream bufferso Trash and debriso Utilitieso Stream crossingso Channel modificationso Miscellaneous features – culvert removal, wildlife, freshwater mussels,fish, invasive plant presence, etc.• General stream corridor conditions summarized2006 – USFWS, CRFPO, Jeff Hogle, Cutthroat Survey Biologist: 28• Creek has some good stretches• Consider reducing the warmwater fish species who are predators on juvenilesalmon and trout2006 – USFWS CRFPO, Sam Lohr, Fisheries Biologist: 32a• Cutthroat trout still occur in Gee Creek• Although habitat conditions may not be conducive to support salmon, acomprehensive assessment of habitat conditions is needed to evaluate and guiderestoration efforts.Recent Events and Future ConsiderationsAlthough impacts to Gee Creek and watershed health have been ongoing since the firstEuro-American settlements, recent documented events illustrate the nature of watershedimpacts from past and future land uses. File notes and recent news records haveselectively documented the following events within the past 11 years:• 1995 Sediment event from Heron Ridge area logging and stream crossing. 24• 1995? Sediment event from winter logging w/o permit - Cloverhill Farms, RoyleRd. 24• 1996 Slide on south side of Ck in Abrams Park. 24• 1997 Slide into creek below Hillhurst Rd. 59• 2001 Arwana manure spill (125,000 gal.). 26,47,57• 2004 Sediment runoff into Tee Creek tributary. 4439