The purpose of this project is to strategically identify potential projects in stream reaches located on private lands that are in need of instream, riparian and fish passage restoration to re-establish historic coho salmon habitat in the Myrtle Creek Watershed. The watershed is a high priority within the Umpqua Basin for instream and riparian improvement because of the high intrinsic potential (HIP) for coho salmon production identified by ODFW and BLM. Other species in the watershed include winter steelhead and fall Chinook salmon, resident and sea-run Oregon Coast cutthroat trout, Pacific lamprey, chub, dace, suckers and shiners. Due to many historic and some current land use practices, much of the instream and riparian habitat is degraded. The numerous problems contributing to poor stream and riparian function and declining fish populations include lack of riparian trees, lack of instream habitat structure, poor fish passage through culverts, and water quality issues such as high bacteria and turbidity.

 The goal of this project is to define stream reaches on private lands where restoration is needed. When the reaches are identified, PUR will use local meetings, mailings and phone calls to contact landowners and share information about the proposed project. PUR will conduct site visits to assess the stream condition on properties owned by the subset of landowners interested in pursuing restoration projects. Potential projects will then be prioritized based on the limiting factors known for the project’s area. Objectives include 1) creating maps to show where projects are needed based on fish presence, instream fish habitat condition, riparian condition and water quality, 2) conducting local outreach efforts, 3) performing site surveys to determine potential project designs and 4) prioritizing potential projects and pursuing funding for project planning and implementation.