Project Development for the Sheep Creek Habitat Improvement Project

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The Sheep Creek Restoration Project is located on Sheep Creek, a tributary of the upper Grande Ronde River. The project area includes 4.5 miles of the creek (RM 7.5 - 12.5). Sheep Creek and its meadow habitats are not in proper functioning ecological condition (hydrologic, geomorphic, vegetative composition), due to historical anthropogenic influences including beaver trapping, overgrazing, logging, road building, and an altered fire regime. Trout Unlimited Washington Water Project (TW_WWP) in partnership with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the U.S. Forest Service will design and implement this project. The overall goal of this project is to achieve proper ecological form and function of Sheep Creek and its meadows in the target reach, and thereby restore spawning and rearing habitat for Snake River Basin Spring/Summer Chinook, Snake River Basin Steelhead, and resident redband trout. Trout Unlimited will place wood structures to help restore the hydraulic grade of the system and to reestablish the hydrologic connection to the historic floodplain. Wood structures will also be built with the objective of improving quantity and quality of fish habitat (fish cover, pool quality/quantity, and spawning gravel recruitment). Instream wood structure work will be implemented on 4 miles of stream. Trout Unlimited will also install cattle exclosure fencing (5.25 mi) will be built/adjusted to protect a greater area of floodplain and riparian habitat from cattle intrusion.

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