Our watershed council is active in scientific research and monitoring to better understand our dynamic creeks and rivers and the species that use them. In 2022, we conducted our first year of a comprehensive stream temperature monitoring. Temperature data is critical to the management and restoration of our watersheds in four ways:
- Determining the location of cold-water sources that create refugia for fish
- Tracking on-going watershed trends
- Informing decision-making by multiple agencies in project prioritization, land management, policy, and resource allocation
- Educating landowners and land managers about watershed health
The results from this 2022 study have been summarized in a report and can be downloaded here:
Our Council is also currently conducting an eDNA (or environmental DNA) research project as a part of the Kellogg Creek Restoration & Community Engancement Project. This research allows us to extract DNA from water samples to detect the presence of a species. Genetic assays are being run for coho, Chinook, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey to determine whether these species are able to get over Kellogg Dam. We are also conducting assays for western pond turtles and western painted turtles to determine if they are present in the impoundment behind Kellogg Dam.
eDNA sampling is occuring every three months over a one year period to capture seasonal variability, and sample sites are evenly distributed throughout the watershed (as seen in the map below) to gather information about distribution of these species in the watershed.
The final research project we are currently working is a barrier assessment to determine if there are any potential barriers that are not currently captured on ODFW’s Fish Passage Barrier Inventory. This work will be completed Spring 2023.
ncurbanwatershed.wordpress.com 