Bear Creek, Oregon, riparian restoration, livestock exclusion, Wayne Elmore

 

 

The Story of Oregon's Bear Creek

Text and photos by Wayne Elmore

Website design by Victor M. Ponce

As seen in Range Magazine, Spring 1988.
Streamside vegetation was low in diversity, stream banks were actively eroding, the channel was deeply incised
August 1977
1.
Streamside vegetation was low in diversity, stream banks were actively eroding, the channel was deeply incised and high flows contained moderate to high sediment loads. Streamflow in the summer was often intermitent and low in quality.
Banks are healing and channel is narrowing.
May 1983
2.
Banks are healing and channel is narrowing. Sediment, trapped by vegetation, can be seen on the banks in the newly emerging plants. Junipers in foreground, seen in previous photo, were cut to release upland vegetation and see if this practice would affect willow establishment.
Channel has narrowed considerably and nearly one-and-a-half feet of sediment has been trapped on the flood plain.
August 1986
3.
Channel has narrowed considerably and nearly one-and-a-half feet of sediment has been trapped on the flood plain. Existing vegetation will carry over to filter sediment and reduce stream energies for bank protection the next year.
Vegetation along the banks filtered sediment from a summer flood event. The raising of the flood plain also caused the channel to widen
June 1987
4.
Vegetation along the banks filtered sediment from a summer flood event. The raising of the flood plain also caused the channel to widen.
Two months after the previous photo, vegetation is seen growing up through the newly deposited sediment, stabilizing it on the flood plain.
August 1987
5.
Two months after the previous photo, vegetation is seen growing up through the newly deposited sediment, stabilizing it on the flood plain.
The Story of Oregon's Bear Creek

Text and photos by Wayne Elmore

Website design by Victor M. Ponce

As seen in Range Magazine, Spring 1988.