Fish 'Disneyland': Happy Place for Fish in the John Day Basin (Oxbow Conservation Area)

BPA, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs and other partners are restoring a magical place for fish in north central Oregon known as the Oxbow Conservation Area. On July 26, nearly 100 project staff and volunteers turned out to the Upper Middle Fork John Day to remove fish and other fauna from a 3,400-foot artificial ditch that was created by mining activities in the 1940s. By filling-in the man-made ditch and constructing a new 1,200-foot section of Granite Boulder Creek, the Middle Fork John Day River will have improved water flows during summer months, which is critical for spring Chinook salmon and steelhead spawning.

This was the second phase of a restoration project in the 1,022-acre Oxbow Conservation Area owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, which is home to some of the best spawning grounds for spring chinook in the entire Columbia River Basin. The project focuses on habitat protection and enhancement that benefits habitat for spring Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout and other species. Efforts include extensive tree and shrub planting, floodplain and river channel restoration, correction of fish passage problems, weed control, and irrigation usage.

The Oxbow Conservation Area restoration project is one of several projects supported under BPA's Columbia Basin Fish Accord agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs. It is sponsored by Ecotrust, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (through National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission), U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bonneville Power Administration.

[nonewherelistens]

That adult salmon had to run a gauntlet to get up to that tributary. A statement on survival of the species.

[drinny]

Oregon is such a beautiful state. I would love to live there.

[lag]

Great video...Gives us hope as we continue to pressure Nevada Irrigation District to remove an illegal Dam in Auburn Ravine, better known as the Hemphill Dam, in Lincoln, California. Soon we shall have spawning king salmon in Auburn.

[kayscheurersteele]

Does the Oxbow and ODFW work with local ranchers between the Upper Middle Fork John Day and the Lower Middle Fork? I'm seeing totally devastated riparian areas below Ritter towards Monument with increased herds of cows on the river all year long. There is never a recovery period, the grasses/sedges are gone! It's extremely over grazed. There has to be a better way ...

[lewismaker]

Why the hell would you relocate lampreys into a trout salmon steelhead stream?