Streams throughout the Days Creek – South Umpqua River watershed have the potential to provide high quality spawning and rearing habitat for coho salmon, steelhead trout, and resident cutthroat trout. However, much of the riparian and in-stream habitat in the watershed is degraded. Over the past five years, the BLM and the Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers (PUR) have completed several restoration projects, including culvert replacement to restore fish passage and placement of logs in streams to improve fish habitat, but many opportunities for restoration remain. The land ownership in this watershed is complex, consisting of a mix of industrial timber lands, individual private ownership, and BLM-managed lands. The BLM and PUR are cooperating to identify, plan, and conduct restoration projects across these complex ownership boundaries. 

This project will involve the placement of logs in the stream to trap gravel substrate, dissipate stream energy thereby reducing erosion on banks, and enhance scour of deep pools. Most logs will be placed in stable pinches between standing live trees in order to provide stable, long-term debris jams. Logs will be purchased from local landowners or industrial timber operators. Logs will be placed in the stream using an excavator in accumulations that mimic naturally occurring debris jams.  Excavator access trails will be seeded and mulched once the project is completed to reduce the footprint and the opportunity for invasive plant species to colonize the area.