ODFW AQUATIC INVENTORIES PROJECT STREAM REPORT STREAM: Sweet Home Creek LLID: 1237006458084 BASIN: Nehalem River HUC NUMBER: 17100202 SURVEY DATES: March 15 – 29, 2011 USGS MAP: Hamlet ECOREGION: Coast Range Volcanic WATERSHED AREA: 16.10km 2 FIRST ORDER TRIBUTARIES: 19 STREAM ORDER: 3 SURVEY CREW: Jon Frech and Kimberley Beedle REPORT PREPARED BY: Peggy Kavanagh and Sharon Tippery GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Sweet Home Creek habitat survey began at its confluence and ended 5,632 meters upstream near a culvert crossing. Seven reaches were designated based on changes in land use, water flow levels, and tributary influence. The land uses were young trees (<15cm dbh), second-growth timber (15-30cm dbh), large timber (30-50cm dbh), and mature timber (50-90cm dbh). The surveyed habitat was mostly rapid and scour pool. Cobble and gravel substrates were most commonly recorded. Hardwoods 30-50cm dbh were found most frequently in the riparian zone. GPS readings were in NAD 83. REACH DESCRIPTIONS: Reach 1 - (T04N-R08W-S20SW) – 1,116 meters – The first reach of the Sweet Home Creek habitat survey began at the confluence with the North Fork Nehalem River and ended at a tributary junction. The majority of the channel was constrained by high terraces within a broad valley. The average valley width index (vwi) was 2.0 (range: 1-5.-2.5). Broad valley reaches tend to have vwi greater than or equal to 2.5. The crew did not record the total valley width; therefore vwi were difficult to determine beyond a simple ‘>2.5’. Due to averaging and the crew’s simplified data collection, the average vwi was 2.0. There were 215 meters of secondary channel habitat. The average gradient was 3.6 percent. The land uses were large timber and second-growth timber. Rapids (36%), cascades (35%), and scour pools (24%) comprised the stream habitat. Boulder (37%), gravel (26%), and cobble (20%) were the dominant stream substrates. Wood volume was 42.4m 3 /100m. The trees found most frequently in the riparian zone were 15-50cm dbh hardwoods and 3-15cm conifers. Total number of trees per 100m 2 : 2.0 conifers and 2.2 hardwoods (based on 2 riparian transects). Reach 2 - (T04N-R08W-S29NE) - 622 meters – Reach 2 ended when the water flows decreased from heavy flow to moderate flow. The channel was unconstrained in a broad valley. The average valley width index was 6.4 (range: 5.0-7.5). There were 130 meters of secondary channel habitat. The average gradient was 2.9 percent. The land uses were large timber and second-growth timber. The stream habitat was a mix of scour pool (35%), riffle (37%), and rapid (27%). The substrate was primarily gravel (41%), cobble (24%), and boulder (16%). Wood volume was 55.9m 3 /100m. The trees found most frequently in the riparian zone were 30-50cm dbh hardwoods. Total number of trees per 100m 2 : 1.7 conifers and 4.3 hardwoods (based on 1 riparian transect).
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ODFW AQUATIC INVENTORIES PROJECT
STREAM REPORT
STREAM: Sweet Home Creek LLID: 1237006458084 BASIN: Nehalem River HUC NUMBER: 17100202 SURVEY DATES: March 15 – 29, 2011 USGS MAP: Hamlet ECOREGION: Coast Range Volcanic WATERSHED AREA: 16.10km2 FIRST ORDER TRIBUTARIES: 19 STREAM ORDER: 3 SURVEY CREW: Jon Frech and Kimberley Beedle REPORT PREPARED BY: Peggy Kavanagh and Sharon Tippery GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Sweet Home Creek habitat survey began at its confluence and ended 5,632 meters upstream
near a culvert crossing. Seven reaches were designated based on changes in land use, water flow levels, and tributary influence. The land uses were young trees (<15cm dbh), second-growth timber (15-30cm dbh), large timber (30-50cm dbh), and mature timber (50-90cm dbh). The surveyed habitat was mostly rapid and scour pool. Cobble and gravel substrates were most commonly recorded. Hardwoods 30-50cm dbh were found most frequently in the riparian zone. GPS readings were in NAD 83.
REACH DESCRIPTIONS: Reach 1 - (T04N-R08W-S20SW) – 1,116 meters – The first reach of the Sweet Home Creek habitat survey
began at the confluence with the North Fork Nehalem River and ended at a tributary junction. The majority of the channel was constrained by high terraces within a broad valley. The average valley width index (vwi) was 2.0 (range: 1-5.-2.5). Broad valley reaches tend to have vwi greater than or equal to 2.5. The crew did not record the total valley width; therefore vwi were difficult to determine beyond a simple ‘>2.5’. Due to averaging and the crew’s simplified data collection, the average vwi was 2.0. There were 215 meters of secondary channel habitat. The average gradient was 3.6 percent. The land uses were large timber and second-growth timber. Rapids (36%), cascades (35%), and scour pools (24%) comprised the stream habitat. Boulder (37%), gravel (26%), and cobble (20%) were the dominant stream substrates. Wood volume was 42.4m3/100m. The trees found most frequently in the riparian zone were 15-50cm dbh hardwoods and 3-15cm conifers. Total number of trees per 100m2: 2.0 conifers and 2.2 hardwoods (based on 2 riparian transects).
Reach 2 - (T04N-R08W-S29NE) - 622 meters – Reach 2 ended when the water flows decreased from heavy
flow to moderate flow. The channel was unconstrained in a broad valley. The average valley width index was 6.4 (range: 5.0-7.5). There were 130 meters of secondary channel habitat. The average gradient was 2.9 percent. The land uses were large timber and second-growth timber. The stream habitat was a mix of scour pool (35%), riffle (37%), and rapid (27%). The substrate was primarily gravel (41%), cobble (24%), and boulder (16%). Wood volume was 55.9m3/100m. The trees found most frequently in the riparian zone were 30-50cm dbh hardwoods. Total number of trees per 100m2: 1.7 conifers and 4.3 hardwoods (based on 1 riparian transect).
Reach 3 - (T04N-R08W-S29NE) - 246 meters – Reach 3 extended to a change in land use. The channel was unconstrained in a broad valley. The average valley width index was 5.8 (range: 2.5-9.0). There were 44 meters of secondary channel habitat. The average gradient was 2.3 percent. The land uses were large timber and second-growth timber. The stream habitat was mostly scour pool (48%) and riffle (37%). The substrate was primarily gravel (33%), cobble (34%), and boulder (22%). Eighteen percent of the reach length had active erosion. Wood volume was 44.4m3/100m. The trees found most frequently in the riparian zone were hardwoods 15-30cm dbh. Total number of trees per 100m2: 0.7 conifers and 2.7 hardwoods (based on 1 riparian transect).
Reach 4 - (T04N-R08W-S28SW) – 1,925 meters – Reach 4 extended to a tributary junction. The channel
was constrained by hillslopes in a narrow valley. The average valley width index was 1.8 (range: 1.1-2.5). There were 481 meters of secondary channel habitat. The average gradient was
2.3 percent. The land uses were large timber and young trees. The stream habitat was a mix of scour pool (28%), riffle (19%), and rapid (45%). The substrate was a mix of gravel (27%), cobble (18%), boulder (19%), and bedrock (32%). Wood volume was 46.2m3/100m. The trees found most frequently in the riparian zone were hardwoods 30-50cm dbh. Total number of trees per 100m2: 0.9 conifers and 1.9 hardwoods (based on 4 riparian transects).
Reach 5 - (T04N-R08W-S33NE) - 528 meters – Reach 5 extended between two tributary junctions. The
channel was constrained by hillslopes in a narrow valley. The average valley width index was 1.7 (range: 1.0-2.5). There were 92 meters of secondary channel habitat. The average gradient was 5.2 percent. The land uses were large timber and young trees. The stream habitat was a mix of scour pool (33%), riffle (30%), and rapid (34%). The substrate was primarily gravel (37%) and cobble (28%). Wood volume was 79.5m3/100m. The trees found most frequently in the riparian zone were 15-30cm dbh conifers and 30-50cm dbh hardwoods. Total number of trees per 100m2: 2.0 conifers and 2.0 hardwoods (based on 3 riparian transects).
Reach 6 - (T04N-R08W-S33NE) - 865 meters – Reach 6 began at a tributary junction and ended at a
tributary not on the topographic map. The channel was constrained by alternating hillslopes in a narrow valley. The average valley width index was 1.6 (range: 1.2-2.1). There were 209 meters of secondary channel habitat. The average gradient was 4.3 percent. The land uses were large timber and second-growth timber. The stream habitat was a mix of scour pool (23%), riffle (14%), rapid (40%), and cascade (19%). The substrate was primarily gravel (40%) and cobble (29%). There was some hardpan clay (represented as bedrock) in this unit. Wood volume was 42.0m3/100m. The trees found most frequently in the riparian zone were 3-30cm dbh conifers. Total number of trees per 100m2: 3.8 conifers and 0.9 hardwoods (based on 4 riparian transects).
Reach 7 - (T04N-R08W-S33SE) - 330 meters – Reach 8 ended at a culvert crossing not on the topographic
map. The channel was constrained by hillslopes in a narrow valley. The average valley width index was 1.3 (range: 1.0-1.5). The average gradient was 10.2 percent. The land uses were mature timber and large timber. The stream habitat was dominated by cascades (51%) and a mix of scour pools (15%) and rapids (20%). The substrate was primarily gravel (44%) and cobble (35%). Thirteen percent of the reach length had active erosion. Wood volume was 59.1m3/100m. The trees found most frequently in the riparian zone were 3-15cm dbh conifers. Total number of trees per 100m2: 4.7 conifers and 0.0 hardwoods (based on 1 riparian transect).
COMMENTS: The last fish was observed at unit 344 (4477m). A fish presence / absence survey was not
conducted.
Two potential barriers to fish passage were present at the time of the survey. There was a log step 1.8m high (unit 466, 5338m) and a structure step 1.5m high (unit 503, 5572m).
High water flows made surveying difficult in Reaches 1 and 2; visibility was impacted in Reach 6.
Sweet Home Creek Tributary, the tributary junction defining the boundary between Reaches 4 and 5 was surveyed during 2011 winter.
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1KEYPIECES OF LARGE WOOD
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFEHABITAT INVENTORY Survey Date: 3/15/2010Report Date: 7/27/2011
SWEET HOME CREEK
REACH 1 REACH 1T04N-R08W-S20SWValley and Channel Summary
Narrow Valley Floor Broad Valley Floor Valley Characteristics (Percent Reach Length)
SWEET HOME CREEK HABITAT SURVEYNEHALEM RIVER BASIN2011 WINTER
Map Name: HAMLET (OR)Horizontal Datum: NAD83
Reach 1 - Unit 1 - An upstream view from the survey start.
Reach 1 - Unit 31 - The left riparian zone
Reach 1 - Unit 51 - The rigth riparian zone with old road bed Reach 2 - Unit 58 - A downstream view of the habitatin foreground and hillslope beyond
Reach 2 - Unit 58 - Looking upstream at Reach 3 Reach 4 - Unit 96 - A downstream view of Reach 3
Sweet Home Creek (Nehalem River Basin) 2011 Winter Habitat Survey Photographs
Reach 3 - Unit 111 - The left riparian zone Reach 4 - Unit 115 - Looking upstream at the stream habitat and riparian vegetation
Reach 4 - Unit 141 - The right riparian zone with a low terrace Reach 4 - Unit 180 - The left riparian zone has a grassy leading to hillslope road bed on a high terrace
Reach 4 - Unit 180 - The right riparian zone Reach 4 - Unit 240 - The right riparian zone with bedrock in zone 1.
Sweet Home Creek (Nehalem River Basin) 2011 Winter Habitat Survey Photographs
Reach 4 - Unit 259 - Looking upstream at the Reach 5 Reach 5 - Unit 331 - The left riparian zone with mature conifers
Reach 6 - Unit 334 - The start of Reach 6 looking upstream
Reach 6 - Unit 361 - The left riparian zoneRiparian slopes were 100+%
Reach 2 - Unit 613 - A view of the new reach.
Reach 6 - Unit 361 - The right riparian zone Reach 6 - Unit 451 - Left riparian zone with surveyor and tree stumpRiparian slopes were 100+%
Sweet Home Creek (Nehalem River Basin) 2011 Winter Habitat Survey Photographs
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Reach 6 - Unit 451 - The right riparian zone Reach 6 - Unit 456 - Looking downstream at the end of Reach 6
Reach 6 - Unit 456 - Looking upstream at Reach 7 Reach 7 - Unit 481 - The right riparian zone - low gradient hillslopeswith conifers 3-15 or 50-90cm dbh in survey zone
and an inactive landslide from the right bank.
Reach 8 - Unit 504 - End survey at culvert crossing with 1.5m drop
Sweet Home Creek (Nehalem River Basin) 2011 Winter Habitat Survey Photographs