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Watersheds

Lower North Umpqua River Watershed

Key Statistics

Size (acres) 106,260
Percent Public Ownership 12
Miles of anadromous salmonid streams 89
Highest elevation (feet) 3,728
Lowest elevation (feet) 371

Location and Size

The Lower North Umpqua fifth-field watershed is located in the central Umpqua Basin. This watershed is 106,260 acres and includes the final 35 miles of the North Umpqua River. The watershed stretches a maximum of 13 miles north to south and 21 miles east to west.

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Landscape and Features

In the Lower North Umpqua Watershed, elevations range from 371 feet at the mouth of the North Umpqua River to 3,728 feet at Scott Mountain on the watershed's northeastern border. The watershed's topography is very diverse. The central, eastern, and southern portions of the watershed are characterized by hills and steep mountains with elevations generally between 1,000 to 3,500 feet. However, the North Umpqua River and Sutherlin Creek valleys are broad and flat.

There are three major highways that transect the watershed. Interstate Five and Highway 99 pass through the western portion of the watershed, and Highway 138 traverses the lower south-central region. Approximately 82% of the City of Sutherlin is within the Lower North Umpqua Watershed. Other population centers include Wilbur, Winchester, and Glide.

Land use in the watershed is mostly agriculture (54%) and forestry (34%). Residential properties account for less than 10% of the total watershed, but are a dominant land use along the North Umpqua River. The majority of the Lower North Umpqua Watershed is privately owned (86%). Twelve percent of the watershed is federal land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Over half of the BLM land is part of the 6,600-acre North Bank Habitat Management Area located in the central portion of the watershed. This area is primarily managed for Columbian white-tailed deer habitat.

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Current Conditions

Summer and winter steelhead, spring and fall chinook, coho, and cutthroat trout have runs or resident populations within the Lower North Umpqua Watershed. Smallmouth bass appear to have established populations at the mouth of the North Umpqua River, and other warm-water species such as brown bullhead have been reported in the same area.

There are three major dams in the Lower North Umpqua Watershed. Winchester Dam is located approximately one mile upstream from the mouth of the North Umpqua River. The origins of this dam date back to the 1890s. Winchester Dam has a fish ladder that permits adult fish passage: however, the dam may be an obstacle to juvenile fish. Winchester Reservoir provides water to the Winchester Water Control District and is used for recreation. Since 1946, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has counted fish passing over the fish ladder.

The Sutherlin Creek Dam, which forms Plat I Reservoir, was built in 1967 to protect the City of Sutherlin from flooding and for irrigation purposes.This dam also has a fish ladder. The ladder, which operates from mid-October through mid-February, is a barrier to juvenile fish. Cooper Creek Dam, which forms Cooper Creek Reservoir, was built in 1970 to protect the City of Sutherlin from flooding and to provide a municipal and industrial water supply. This dam blocks fish passage in Cooper Creek. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stocks rainbow trout in Plat I Reservoir and in Cooper Creek Reservoir.

Throughout the Lower North Umpqua Watershed, riparian areas are mostly strips of hardwoods, shrubs, blackberries, and rangeland. Only in the very highest reaches of tributaries in mountainous areas are conifer forests the dominant riparian vegetation type. In the summers of 1992, 1993, and 1994, ODFW surveyed six streams for fish habitat conditions. Most of the surveyed streams had poor pools; however, not enough streams were surveyed to make any watershed-wide conclusions about in-stream habitat conditions.

In the Lower North Umpqua Watershed, three streams are considered water quality limited for habitat or flow modification. These streams are Cooper Creek (flow), the North Umpqua River (habitat and flow), and Sutherlin Creek (flow). Four waterbodies are on the ODEQ 303(d) list for violating water quality standards. Cooper Creek/Cooper Creek Reservoir is listed for iron and mercury. The North Umpqua River is listed for temperature and arsenic. Plat I reservoir is listed for mercury, and Sutherlin Creek is listed for arsenic, iron, lead, manganese, and copper.

In the Lower North Umpqua Watershed, past mining activities appear to have contributed to mercury and arsenic levels. Tailings from the Bonanza Mine in the neighboring Calapooya Creek Watershed were used to construct a Weyerhaeuser railroad grade. The rails, ties, and original railroad track have since been removed, and the grade is now Red Rock Road, which is not surfaced. The road appears to be a potential source of continuous metal contamination in Sutherlin Creek and Plat I Reservoir.Sutherlin Creek Dam contains mine tailings which may also be a contamination source.

Specific UBWC Enhancement Opportunities for the Lower North Umpqua Watershed

1. Actively seek out opportunities with landowner and resident groups to enlist participation in restoration projects and activities:

  • Instream structure placement (case-by-case basis).
  • Improved irrigation efficiency and instream water leasing (all streams with water rights).
  • Riparian planting, blackberry conversion, fencing, and alternative livestock watering systems (esp. Bradley Creek and Oak Creek and its tributaries).
  • Work with Sutherlin Water Control District on future restoration opportunities.

2. Work with interested landowners on a case-by-case basis on the following project types:

  • Improve instream fish habitat in areas with good riparian zones and an active channel that is less than 30 feet.
  • Enhance and/or protect riparian zones and wetlands to improve wildlife habitat, fish habitat, and water quality conditions.

3. Develop educational materials and/or outreach programs to educate target audiences about fish habitat and water quality-related issues:

  • Create educational brochures about bank erosion, the problems associated with channel modification, and the importance of riparian areas. These could be given to new landowners through real estate agents.
  • Develop public service announcements about ways of improving or maintaining riparian and instream conditions, such as the benefits of riparian fencing and how to use fertilizers and pesticides in a stream-friendly fashion.
  • Design engaging displays about fish passage barriers for community events, such as the Douglas County Fair.
  • Give presentations at citizen groups about the benefits to landowners and to fish that result from upland stock water systems, off-channel shade trees, and instream water leasing.

4. Support local fish habitat and water quality research:

  • Train volunteers to conduct fish and water quality monitoring and research.
  • Provide equipment necessary for local water quality research.
  • Survey long-term landowners and residents about historical and current fish distribution and abundance.
  • Encourage school and student participation in monitoring and research.

5. Enlist landowner participation to remove fish passage barriers as identified.

6. Educate policy makers about the obstacles preventing greater landowner participation in voluntary fish habitat and water quality improvement methods.

Sources

Geyer, Nancy A. Lower North Umpqua Watershed Assessment and Action Plan. Roseburg, Oregon: Prepared for the Umpqua Basin Watershed Council; 2003 July.

BLM addendum for Lower North Umpqua Watershed assessment : fifth field watershed. Roseburg District BLM; 2003 July.