Photo: Gary Miller
On Tuesday, February 28th, the full flow of Whychus Creek, located just 9 miles north-east of Sisters, Oregon, was redirected to its historic channel through Camp Polk Meadow, for the first time in 47 years.
The Deschutes Land Trust, a Conservation Alliance Grantee, has been working in collaboration with the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and the Deschutes National Forest for the past decade on the planning and implementation for this project; a major step in the return of salmon and steelhead to the upper Deschutes Basin.
"It's incredible to see a project in which so many have worked patiently for so many years finally come to fruition. The Land Trust has worked toward this day for over 15 years, but we couldn't have done it without our many partners, funders and volunteers. Together, we've created a slow, meandering new stream channel that can provide essential spawning and rearing habitat for the historic return of salmon and steelhead," said Brad Chalfant, the Land Trust's executive director.
To learn more about the Whychus Creek Project and see 4 time-lapse videos of restoration, click here.
Photo: Jay Mather