Plans call for full replacement next month
Article Originally published at McKenzie River Reflections
Crews working on a project for the McKenzie Watershed Council have placed five concrete panels to create the base of a bridge over Quartz Creek. The bridge, which leads to Pond Road (USFS 805) is the initial phase of a larger-scale project to restore floodplain habitat across 180 acres in the Quartz Creek sub-watershed. The work was designed to help reduce the impacts of large flood events, capture fines and sediment, and enhance habitat for Chinook salmon, bull trout, and other native species.
Partners in the project include the Eugene Water & Electric Board, McKenzie River Trust, and Willamette National Forest. The bridge replacement is funded through the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law and managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Source: McKenzie River Reflections
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Watershed Protection:
A key focus of MCP is Environmental Resiliency – We Collaborate with partners to Identify Projects that will conserve, rehabilitate and restore the environment of the McKenzie River. We are lucky to have many great partners working towards similar goals. When this happens, we mostly get out of their way and cheer them on. As a community, we encourage locals to support and participate in good conservation projects.
The McKenzie River Trust is one organization that is making great strides in protecting our beloved watershed and we are grateful for their hard work!
Watershed restoration is essential for maintaining the health and sustainability of the ecosystems, communities, and water resources within a particular watershed. The McKenzie River Watershed encompasses about 1,300 square miles. This watershed, which includes the breathtaking McKenzie River, has some of the cleanest water in the country and flows through tall forests of Douglas fir and cedar trees. Protecting watersheds such as these is essential to the diverse ecosystem that thrives here and the communities that depend on this water.
Watershed restoration is a critical process aimed at revitalizing and improving the health of a watershed, an area where all the rain and snowmelt flows into a common water body, such as a river or lake. This restoration work involves a range of activities, from enhancing water quality by reducing pollution sources to controlling soil erosion through methods like reforestation and wetland preservation. Additionally, habitat restoration efforts focus on sustaining the ecosystems within the watershed, while flood mitigation strategies help reduce flood risks by managing water flow.
Please consider donating to McKenzie River Trust so they can continue to be a major group working to protect our watershed!