Water, Air and Soil
Aquatic Restoration
The Malheur National Forest proposes aquatic restoration on public lands within the boundaries of the Malheur National Forest and/or adjacent lands where restoration activities would aid in the recovery of aquatic species and impaired water bodies. Aquatic restoration activities would be accomplished through the use of project specific design criteria using a consistent methodology to design, implement, monitor, and document watershed and aquatic restoration efforts.
The Aquatic Restoration Environmental Assessment (EA) found below includes a number of individual actions that, when grouped together, represent an overall watershed and fish habitat restoration program. Projects may occur at many individual sites across the Malheur National Forest, including those National Forest system lands on the Ochoco National Forest administered by the Malheur National Forest.
- Beaver Habitat Restoration on the Malheur NF
- Large Wood Debris Placement on the Malheur NF
- Meadow Restoration on the Malheur NF
Malheur National Forest Fish Resources
The Malheur National Forest contains a highly diversified fishery resource ranging from coldwater-dependent cutthroat and bull trouts to cool-water smallmouth bass. In addition, the John Day River drainage supports anadromous runs of Columbia River spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead trout. Fisheries habitat ranges from cold, high-elevation headwater streams and lakes to extreme low-flow or intermittent streams in which summer daily maximum water temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit
The Forest encompasses parts of the following major drainages
Except for the Middle Fork of this river, only headwater areas of a few tributaries to the North Fork reach the Malheur National Forest. These Forest streams do contribute somewhat to the resident trout sport fishery, but they are all above the distribution limits of anadromous fish
The Middle Fork is a tributary to the North Fork John Day River and supports anadromous runs of spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead trout as well as resident rainbow/redband trout populations. Bull trout are also present in some of the colder tributaries. Over half the Middle Fork is on private land. From Big Creek upstream, most of the tributaries are on Forest lands. Thus, about 88 percent of the steelhead production in the Middle Fork is on the Forest. It is estimated that about 70 percent of the Chinook spawning occurs on the Forest, but again the tributaries add to the relative importance of Forest streams by providing summer rearing for juvenile Chinook, which move into these tributaries when water temperatures in the Middle Fork become too warm.
The main stem supports anadromous runs of spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead trout as well as resident rainbow/redband trout, cutthroat trout, bull trout, and brook trout. Only a small part of the main stem is on the Forest, but a major portion of the headwater tributaries are within the Forest boundary. Thus, only about 15 percent of the Chinook production in the main stem occurs on the Forest, but about 67 percent of the steelhead production is on the Forest.
The South Fork supports a run of summer steelhead up to river mile 28, where an impassable barrier exists. A major portion of the west-flowing tributaries to the South Fork are within the Forest boundary, which includes about 38 miles of steelhead streams. The South Fork Falls are located on BLM land, downstream from the Forest. If completed, this will provide steelhead access to about 85 miles of stream, 26 which are on the Forest. The South Fork and its tributaries also support a rainbow/redband trout sport fishery.
The Malheur River is a tributary of the Snake River and formerly supported an anadromous fishery. This fishery was eliminated in the first half of this century by high dam construction on the Snake River. The river system currently supports a resident trout fishery (bull trout, rainbow/red band trout, and brook trout).
The Silvies River flows into the Harney Basin, which has no outlet and acts as a drying basin. The drainage supports a resident trout fishery and the only smallmouth bass fishery on the Forest.
Projects By District
- FY 2025 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2024 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2023 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2022 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2021 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2020 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2019 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- Bridge and Beech Creeks Large Wood Project
- 2019 Range Fence Proposal and Checklist
- Camp Valley Project Proposal and Checklist
- Fish Passage Restoration Project Proposal and Checklist
- Murderers Creek Unit 11 Project Proposal and Checklist
- West Fork Deer Creek Large Wood Placement Project Proposal and Checklist
- Middle Fork John Day- Deerhorn Creek Campground Hazard Tree Removal
- Three Cabin Spring Development Project Proposal and Checklist
- FY 2018 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2017 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2016 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- Fields Peak Riparian Fencing
- Rosebud Spring Protection Project
- Laycock Meadow Project
- East Fork Deer Creek Large Wood Project
- Boulder Creek LWM Placement Project
- Phipps Powerline ROW CWD Project Proposal and Checklist
- Camp Creek Headwaters Restoration Project
- Davis Creek Large Wood and Riprap Removal Project
- FY 2015 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2023 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2022 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2021 No Aquatics projects to be implemented
- FY 2020 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2019 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2018 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2017 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2016 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY2015 No Aquatics projects to be implemented
- FY 2024 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2023 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2021 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2020 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2019 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2018 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2017 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- FY 2016 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List
- Corral Holding Riparian Fencing
- Lower Field Corner\Riparian Fencing
- Summit Creek Restoration Project-Phase 1 and 2
- Taytáy Creek Restoration Project-Phase 2 and 3
- Malheur Headwaters Spring Protection
- Summit Creek MDI Aspen Restoration
- FY 2015 Aquatic Restoration Proposed Activity List