The North Umpqua Foundation has been an effective and dedicated organization advocating for wild native fish on the North Umpqua River for over 40 years. Their mission and actions have been directed toward protecting wild steelhead from poaching; educating the public about the value of the river and its inhabitants; supporting fisheries scholarships; advocating for science-based fisheries management; and habitat restoration.
This year, the North Umpqua Foundation’s grant application for habitat restoration on Canton Creek was selected for an award by the Fly Fisher Foundation. Canton Creek is an important tributary for spawning steelhead, cutthroat trout, and Pacific lamprey. Here is a summary of the proposed work by the North Umpqua Foundation:
“The Canton Creek Instream Restoration Phase II project involves continuing stream restoration efforts from 2024 in Canton Creek. The BLM and Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers (PUR) will use a truck mounted cable yarder to pull over large and small riparian trees into Canton Creek to create log jams in locations where log jams historically occurred (prior to stream cleaning efforts). An excavator will be used to add a few large boulders to these log jams to ensure their stability due to the high energy of Canton Creek. The Canton Creek watershed is currently severely lacking in important fish habitat characteristics including spawning size gravel, complex pools, and large wood due to historic stream cleaning efforts. With this simplified habitat, Canton Creek has a much reduced carrying capacity for Summer Steelhead and Cutthroat trout rearing and spawning. Canton and its tributary Pass Creek were featured in the historic Pass Creek video created by Frank Moore which resulted in the first riparian stream protections in Oregon and the hiring of Fish Biologists by Federal Agencies. Canton Creek was one of Frank Moore’s favorite tributaries on the North Umpqua and part of this project would involve adding an interpretive sign in the restoration area that talks about Frank Moore’s contributions to fish and riparian protection and the importance of watershed restoration efforts.”Â
These restoration activities will help improve spawning and holding areas for fish, help reduce stream temperatures, improve climate resilience, improve instream water storage, and reduce high energy flow. These improvements will benefit wild summer steelhead, cutthroat trout, and Pacific lamprey that migrate to and spawn in Canton Creek.
Congratulations to TNUF! We are honored to help the wild fish of the North Umpqua River thrive.
Lisa Hansen
