Font Size A A A

Lower Vaughn Creek Enhancement Project

At the mouth of Vaughn Creek, looking out to Tillamook Bay

The Lower Vaughn Creek project was initiated by the Tillamook Bay Watershed Council (TBWC) and represents the value and effectiveness of citizen stewardship. The Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) and TBWC are collaborating to restore the most degraded part of this watershed - its lower reach. This project aims to enhance the habitat and water quality values of a degraded lowland estuarine watershed.

In 2002, the TBWC developed the Vaughn Creek Action Plan, which guides partner efforts for the entire watershed. The lower reach of Vaughn Creek has several factors limiting sustainable fish populations including a culvert crossing, an upstream livestock ford crossing, and degraded riparian areas.

Watershed History

Vaughn Creek drains a 675-acre watershed that has three mainstem miles, two miles of which bear salmon spawning and rearing habitat. The creek flows through forest, rural residential property, a golf course, and pasture land on its way to Tillamook Bay, where it discharges near the mouth of the Kilchis River. The watershed has become degraded through ditching, channelizing, and the installation of numerous stream crossings. With approximately 85% of Tillamook Bay's intertidal wetlands lost to fill and dredging, enhancing this watershed is critical to restoring these essential habitats.

The Vaughn Creek watershed historically supported runs of coho, chinook, chum, steelhead, and cutthroat trout. Formal historical records documenting fish use in Vaughn Creek are not available. However, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Tillamook District personnel and anecdotal landowner accounts of coho and chum in the creek indicate this creek was once and still is important to fishery resources.

TEP received a grant to snorkel the entire Tillamook Bay watershed in summer 2005 (every fifth pool to the end of coho distribution), including Vaughn Creek, to assess juvenile salmon populations and distribution. (To read about this survey, click here.) Surveyors observed juvenile coho, steelhead, cutthroat, and thousands of stickleback. Surveyor comments included noting that the lower reach: 'is functioning as extremely high quality rearing surface area for both summer and winter habitats'; 'is probably most important for production'; 'has coho that are already gigantic here (100mm)'; and 'has evidence of extensive food supply'.

Several enhancement efforts have been undertaken in the Vaughn Creek watershed including replacing four fish barrier culverts with bridges, upgrading a water diversion intake from a dam system to a gravity-fed intake system, one riparian planting project, and water quality monitoring since August 2003.

Water Quality Concerns

Vaughn Creek flows down this unfenced farm road during high flows

Culvert Crossing

The culvert crossing is comprised of two side-by-side culverts. Both culverts, one metal and one half metal/half concrete, are 36" in diameter and 20' long. These undersized culverts substantially restrict the conveyance of water and streambed materials. During winter flows, the crossing overtops and diverts the majority of stream flow down the farm road. Since the crossing and farm road are not fenced, livestock use provides bacteria inputs to Vaughn Creek.

Livestock Ford Crossing

Further upstream beyond the two culvert crossings exists a ford crossing used by livestock. Continuous use of this ford has caused significant bank erosion, and sediment and bacteria inputs.

This livestock ford crossing will be remedied with a bridge

Degraded Riparian Areas

The pastures adjacent to Vaughn Creek are predominantly used for livestock grazing. In some areas, livestock have complete access to the creek. Three adjacent landowners have riparian areas along the mainstem of Vaughn Creek, totaling 0.7 miles (both streambanks).

Project Goals

Three project goals aim to address water quality concerns in Vaughn Creek.

1) Install two bridges (one at the culvert crossing and one at the livestock ford)
of spawning and rearing habitat.
2) Fence and plant 0.70 miles of riparian areas (both streambanks)
3) Provide two off-channel watering systems for livestock

The Project

In collaboration with the TBWC, ODFW, and Tillamook County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), TEP intends to implement the following project components to remedy the water quality concerns. The project cost is expected to reach $90,000.

Bridge Installations

Crossing to be replaced with a bridge; fencing will exclude livestock from stream; native plantings will stabilize banks

Two bridges will be installed, one at the culvert crossing and one at the upstream livestock ford. The new steel I-beam bridges will measure 8' wide and 30' long.

Riparian Enhancements

Approximately 0.70 miles (both streambanks) will be fenced and planted. All fencing will be two-strand high tensile electric fencing. Fencing setbacks will meet the Oregon Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Guide requirements, which averages approximately 12' in the lower reach. Two off-stream livestock watering systems will be installed so livestock will not need to access the creek to water. Plant species may include spruce, hemlock, and cedar and deciduous species may include alder, red osier dogwood, black cottonwood, crab apple, hardhack, and ninebark. Plants will be released from competing vegetation annually for three years.