Jordan Creek

As shown in the figure below, the 2,459 acre Jordan/Alder Creek Watershed begins at Tellurium Peak and flows directly into the South Umpqua River downstream from the City of Canyonville, Oregon. The Jordan/Alder Creek drainage is southwest of Interstate 5, and flows through the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indian's Creekside Development Project.

Restoration

When the Tribe acquired the property in 1998, restoration activities began almost immediately. The Tribe has already undertaken the following activities to restore Jordan Creek:

• Pumped out the watershed septic tanks and removed
  the septic drainage systems.
• Removed all car tires, car bodies, oil drums, rebar
  and concrete blocks.
• Removed invasive and non-native vegetation from
  riparian area.
• Secured some areas of bank with native willows,
  rocks and boulders.

In 2005, the Tribe received a grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Watershed Restoration Program to conduct a Jordan/Alder Creek Watershed Assessment (11 megabyte download). The Assessment was completed in 2006.

Because of the work that the Tribe has already done to restore Jordan Creek, and the Watershed Assessment process partner meetings, the Oregon Department of Transportation sped up plans to retrofit the Culvert underneath I-5 with weirs to allow fish to pass through. In the short term, the Tribe plans to implement the following:

• Monitor future fish passage and fish usage of the drainage and integrate data
  into future restoration efforts.
• Place instream structures such as boulders and logs to create pools and shade
  for fish habitat.
• Continue riparian planting using native species.
• Create settling ponds and off-channel habitat.
• Monitor water quality of the system.
• Work with the Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers and landowners in the
  drainage to restore Jordan and Alder Creeks.

Long-term restoration efforts include:

• Working with the Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers on replacing the nine culverts in the drainage to increase fish
  passage.
• Working with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on Steelhead and Salmon acclimation.
• Public educational tours on native species and fish restoration.