Overwintering habitat conditions for steelhead and other salmonids have been decimated in Lower Gobar Creek due to clearcut-logging, subsequent alder monoculture establishment, and construction of roads and ponds in the floodplain. Gobar Creek is a tributary to the Kalama River in Cowlitz County, Washington.
To assist the Cowlitz Indian Tribe in their efforts to reverse stream degradation in the Gobar Creek watershed, W2r is developing a design to increase the quantity and quality of over-wintering habitat for winter and summer steelhead in two large reaches of the creek.
Stream habitat will be improved through broad-scale Stage 0-targeted approaches, with emphasis on “leave-islands” and “leave-pools” to preserve existing functional stream and riparian segments of the floodplain. Loose logs will also be placed for initial floodplain roughness to distribute flows, retain and sort spawning gravels, and provide hydraulic roughness until woody vegetation establishes.
Project actions will benefit water quality, nutrient availability, food web productivity, and resiliency of the creek to increasing variability in flows and environmental conditions.
