Pine
Hollow Watershed Project
The Pine Hollow
demonstration phase has been completed. This demonstration phase was funded
with a Planning and Implementation Grant from Oregon Department of Agriculture.
The First Phase of upland conservation implementation is currently underway.
Pine
Hollow area is shown in magenta.
Accomplishments in the
demonstration phase include:
Three fencing projects
Some projects break pastures into smaller units to allow more even distribution
of livestock and avoid overgrazing. others create
riparian pasture units which are managed to avoid grazing pressure on riparian
vegetation.
Two sediment basins
These structures are built in upland pastures to hold back part of the largest
runoff events before they reach the streams, thus reducing streambank
erosion and damage to riparian vegetation.
Two critical grass seedings
These projects help reestablish grass stands in areas where fences or other
projects are installed.
One spring development
Springs in upland pastures are developed to allow livestock watering away from
the stream. Livestock are more evenly distributed, and grazing pressure near
the stream is reduced, especially when spring developments are used together
with fencing projects.
One Juniper Control project
Juniper has greatly expanded its range since the 19th century due to a number
of factors, including climate change, fire
suppression, and the introduction of livestock. Juniper competes with grass for
moisture, thus increasing soil erosion and reducing the value of the range.
Juniper control projects thin the stands to a level which will allow recovery
of grass stands.
Notes
PG&E Gas Transmission Company Northwest provided additional funds for
wildlife enhancement and production of native plant materials. Oregon
Cattlemen's Association contributed to the Pine Hollow Project by teaching a
one-day stream assessment course in Antelope at the request of the Pine Hollow
Watershed Council. Instructors were Louanne Zweigardt of OCA and Mike Borman,
a range professor at
The Council met on February 24 to discuss plans for this spring. The annual steelhead and trout spawning survey with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and USDI Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was set for mid-April. PFC assessments on various other parts of the stream system were set for mid-June, and involve landowners, BLM, ODFW, the Sherman County SWCD and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The action plan was discussed, and will be reviewed for thirty days before being finalized. The next phase of the project involves further upland erosion and runoff control and range management improvements. Conservation projects in 1998 and 1999 were funded by grants from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Sherman County SWCD is providing coordination and administrative support to this shared watershed project.
For addtional information on Pine
Hollow Watershed visit the Sherman County SWCD web page.
Back to Main Page