Agrowing effort. Thanks to the Oregon Department of. Wildlife habitat reborn in Wood River Wetland. Joint Venture web page

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1 NEWSLETTER OF THE OREGON WETLANDS JOINT VENTURE JULY 1998 Wildlife habitat reborn in Wood River Wetland New pocket-sized guide is now available. See Wetlands Gift Guide (inside). Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture 1637 Laurel Street Lake Oswego OR / / fax Website: wetlands.dfw.state.or.us Executive Director Bruce Taylor Agrowing effort to restore some of the vast historic marshes of the upper Klamath Basin marked a major milestone in late June with the dedication of the Bureau of Land Management s Wood River Wetland project on Agency Lake. BLM officials and a host of partners celebrated completion of construction work to restore about 2,800 acres of wetlands at the north end of the lake to permanent and seasonal marshes. The property had been diked and drained for decades for crops and livestock grazing before BLM purchased the land in 1994 at the urging of local officials concerned about water quality and endangered fish issues. Aided by Ducks Unlimited, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the White pelicans at Wood River Wetland Bureau of Reclamation, BLM has been working since 1996 to repair and build new dikes, replace pumps, excavate ponds and create more than six miles of meandering stream channels within the 3,000 acres behind the levees. Total costs have been about $1.5 million. The next phase of restoration work, begun last fall with help from Oregon Trout, will return the lower 1.8 miles of the Wood River, an internationally famous trout stream, to its historic channel along the eastern edge of the property. Costs are estimated at $750,000. Plans also call for future restoration work along the Sevenmile Creek canal that borders BLM s ownership on the west. More than 20 other partners, ranging from the Klamath Tribes, neighboring land owners and local high schools to state and federal agencies and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, have contributed to the restoration efforts. Migratory birds of the Pacific Flyway have already begun to see the benefits of the Wood River project. Waterfowl numbers increased (continued on page 3) Joint Venture web page Thanks to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Joint Venture now has its own web page (wetlands.dfw.state.or.us). Internet users can find a variety of information on the Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture s home page, including past newsletters, capsule descriptions of projects, completed Joint Venture focus area plans, information about Joint Venture partners and links to other sites. Also included on the web page is the Wetlands Gift Guide, a collection of wetlands-related products available by tollfree telephone and mail order. Proceeds help support Joint Venture conservation efforts. Wedge Watkins/BLM

2 DU assembles partnership for Lower Columbia bottomlands Agroup of Joint Venture partners is moving ahead with plans for a series of projects to restore or enhance almost 4,500 acres of wetlands in the wildlife-rich bottomlands along the lower Columbia River north of Portland. Ducks Unlimited submitted a request in April for a federal grant under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) to help pay for the projects. The new proposal would more than double the scope of a Pacific Coast Joint Venture habitat initiative that already involves about 3,500 acres of wetlands on both sides of the lower Columbia River. The first phase of the project was awarded a $700,000 NAWCA grant in The new projects include restoration of 1,720 acres of wetlands on the north unit of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife s Sauvie Island Wildlife Area and another 265 acres of wetlands along Multnomah Sauvie Island Wildlife Area Channel that were recently purchased by Metro. The U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service s Wetlands Reserve Program is expected to fund a big chunk of the restoration costs. Washington projects included in the package include more than 2,500 acres of wetland acquisition and restoration in the area between Woodland and Vancouver. Partners in the overall project include Ducks Unlimited, Clark County, the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Metro, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Clark Public Utilities. Ducks Unlimited s request for a $994,000 federal grant ranked third nationally in initial ranking of applications for funding under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Total costs of the project are more than $7.9 million. Wetlands along this portion of the lower Columbia River are a key wintering and staging area for waterfowl and other migratory birds of the Pacific Flyway. Peak winter waterfowl populations often exceed 300,000, with more than 200,000 birds present throughout the winter. Habitat restoration efforts are expected to benefit a wide variety of other species, including shorebirds, songbirds, salmon and a number of rare plant communities. Contact: Steve Donovan, Ducks Unlimited, 3074 Gold Canal Drive, Rancho Cordova CA, 95670; Carey Smith/USFWS Surveys highlight wetland losses as top concern for Lower Columbia Scientists, stakeholders and the general public all agree: loss of wetlands and other habitats pose the greatest risk to the Columbia River estuary, according to a series of surveys conducted for the Lower Columbia River Estuary Program. The findings were the result of a risk ranking process conducted late last year by the program, a joint federal-state effort to develop a comprehensive conservation and management plan for the lower Columbia River. Ranking of top five risks to Columbia River estuary General public 1. Loss of habitat and wetlands 2. Discharges from industrial facilities 3. Agricultural activities 4. Leaks and spills of hazardous materials 5. Forestry activities Stakeholders 1. Loss of habitat and wetlands 2. Decline and loss of species 3. Agricultural activities 4. Stormwater runoff 5. Loss of riparian vegetation Scientists 1. Loss of habitat and wetlands 2. Decline and loss of species 3. Altered stream flow 4. Stormwater runoff 5. Lack of knowledge Contact: Nate Alexander, Lower Columbia River Estuary Program, 811 SW Sixth Avenue, Portland OR 97204;

3 Wood River project to benefit at-risk species, water quality (continued from page 1) to almost 30,000 last fall despite draining of the site the past few years during construction. In 1995, when the property remained flooded most of the year, fall waterfowl numbers topped 100,000, up from about 7,000 the year before. Water quality in Agency and Upper Klamath lakes is expected to improve as a result of the wetland restoration. The project should also enhance habitat values for the atrisk spotted frog and two endangered fish, the shortnose and Lost River suckers. The suckers use Wood River for spawning and are believed to seek refuge in areas around the mouth of the river as the lakes water quality declines later in the summer. Wood River Wetland Wedge Watkins/BLM Nature Conservancy adds to Upper Klamath wetlands Afew miles south of the Wood River, a second major wetland restoration project is taking shape on the edge of Upper Klamath Lake, where The Nature Conservancy is working to recreate part of the Williamson River delta s historic marshes. Dike construction work completed last fall has allowed the conservancy to flood 1,800 acres of shallow wetlands that were drained and planted to crops under previous owners. Managers hope to see the first signs of a new emergent marsh as water levels are drawn down this summer. Additional dike construction this fall will allow flooding of another 1,800 acres of wetlands next year. The Nature Conservancy purchased the 4,700-acre property in Partners in the project include the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, PacifiCorp, Celltech, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation and the Klamath Tribes. Contact: Mark Stern, The Nature Conservancy, 821 SE 14th Street, Portland OR 97214; Sandhill cranes on Williamson River Delta 3 Wood River Wetland partners American Lands Conservancy Ducks Unlimited Governor s Watershed Enhancement Board High Desert Learning Center Jim Root Ranch Klamath Basin Water Resource Advisory Council Klamath Tribes Len Garrison /Agency Lake Ranch local high schools (Lost River, Tulelake, Henley, Butte Valley) National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Oregon Department of Transportation Oregon Shores Recreation Club Oregon Trout Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture Upper Klamath Basin Working Group U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Bureau of Reclamation U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Winema National Forest Klamath Marsh Refuge to expand The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in May added almost 3,000 acres to its Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in northern Klamath County. The $1 million purchase was completed using funds allocated from federal duck stamp revenues. The newly acquired property includes high-value wetlands at the north end of the refuge, extending the Fish and Wildlife Service s ownership to the edge of the Winema National Forest. The refuge now encompasses more than 40,000 acres of the Klamath Marsh, a broad expanse of wetlands on the Williamson River about 50 miles north of Klamath Falls.

4 Governor s task force highlights Willamette s floodplain habitats Willamette floodplain at Independence Restoration of wetlands and other floodplain habitats should be a top priority for watershed health in the Willamette River basin, according to a task force appointed by Governor Kitzhaber. The task force, originally formed to assess Willamette water quality problems, concluded that conservation and restoration of degraded riparian, wetland and floodplain areas is critical to the overall health of the basin. In its final report, the panel called for a basin-wide strategy to address the complex web of human and natural interactions that have contributed to the Willamette s declining ecological health. The proposed listing of several stocks of Willamette salmon and steelhead under the federal Endangered Species Act has added new urgency to the issue, and the governor s office has begun laying the groundwork for a basin-wide planning effort. Kitzhaber s task force, which finished its 18-month review last December, recommended a comprehensive strategy to deal with water quality, flooding and habitat issues. The Willamette River floodplain is a focal point for all three concerns. Restoration of wetlands in the basin Willamette Valley wetland changes Total area of wetlands ( ): 443,683 acres Wetlands as percentage of valley lands: percent Median size of wetlands: 1.5 acres Total loss of wetlands ( ): 9,361 acres Source: Joseph A. Bernert, Joseph M. Eilers, Benn J. Eilers, Elaine Blok, Dennis Peters, Steven G. Daggett, and Ken Bierly. In press. Statistical Evaluation of Recent Wetland and Land Use Change in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. Submitted to Wetlands journal. Cause of Wetland Loss Agriculture (70 percent) 4 will restore both floodwater and water quality functions and habitat values, the task force reported. Restoration of bottomland forest will have the most immediate impact on reducing floodwaters and trapping sediments and nutrients and will enhance recovery of rare plant communities and wildlife. Restoration of marsh and open water habitat, particularly reconnection of sloughs and backwaters with mainstem rivers, will benefit fish and amphibian populations. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is evaluating opportunities to Oxbow at Willamette Mission Other changes (24 percent) Urbanization 6% reduce flood damages while restoring natural wetlands and promoting ecosystem restoration under a Willamette floodplain study authorized by Congress last year. The Corps is also working with the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation to reconnect an old oxbow to the main river channel at Willamette Mission State Park north of Salem. Other state park lands along the Willamette Greenway are also under consideration for future restoration projects. Contacts: Matt Rea, Corps of Engineers, Box 2964, Portland OR ; ; Rick Bastasch, Willamette Restoration Initiative, 775 Summer Street NE, Salem OR 97310;

5 Polk County project provides showcase for Wetlands Reserve Program Mark Knaupp Two years after the Natural Resources Conservation Service helped him convert 300 acres of agricultural land back into wetlands, Polk County grass seed farmer Mark Knaupp is enthusiastic about the benefits of the project. There s only one problem. It s very distracting, says Knaupp, an OSU wildlife graduate and avid waterfowl hunter who spends most of his time managing 850 acres for grass seed production. A farmer for 23 years, Knaupp has been watching closely the habitat changes in the bottomlands he enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture s Wetlands Reserve Program. It s exceeded all my expectations, he says. It s amazing, the response to the change in hydrology how We restored 300 acres of really productive habitat that s producing 20 times the benefits of a farmed wetland the vegetation has come back, the amount of bird use, and how the habitat has developed. It s happened very fast. The birds found it and moved into it very quickly. Enrolling a portion of his land in the Wetlands Reserve Program, which pays landowners for a permanent conservation easement and funds any needed restoration work, was also a good business decision, according to Knaupp. He used his easement payment to buy an adjacent 180 acres and consolidate his operations. It allowed me to get out of some marginal land and replace it with better land that was less sensitive and easier to farm, says Knaupp. Plus we restored 300 acres of really productive habitat that s producing 20 times the benefits of a farmed wetland. Fall through spring, his land now draws thousands of ducks and geese, shorebirds and swallows. Breeding birds there this summer include seven species of waterfowl. Bitterns, rails, herons and egrets wade through the 5 marshes, while bald eagles work the skies overhead. Two years ago, these wetlands were planted to tall fescue, producing seeds for lawns in eastern states. But a series of wet years and a growing winter population of hungry Canada geese had made the low-lying lands along Mud Slough increasingly difficult to farm before Knaupp enrolled them in the Wetlands Reserve Program. Working with the local office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Ducks Unlimited, Knaupp and his partners built a series of low dikes, sprayed out the fescue and did some limited planting of native trees and shrubs. Less than two years later, shallow-water impoundments are sprouting native emergent plants ranging from beggarticks and waterplantain to willows and black cottonwood seedlings. Wetland meadows support tufted hairgrass, once widespread throughout the Willamette Valley, and Nelson s checkermallow, a showy flower listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Waterfowl is the plus that drives it for me, though, says Knaupp. I enjoy waterfowl and waterfowl habitat. The Wetlands Reserve Program allowed me to get my money out of the property and restore habitat at the same time. It s the best of both worlds for me. Contact: Ken Hale, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 289 E. Ellendale #504, Dallas OR 97338; Restored marsh along Mud Slough Native wetland plants

6 Nature Conservancy moves to protect key coastal habitats Moving to head off development threats to one of the most important seabird nesting sites on the Oregon coast, The Nature Conservancy has purchased a 135-acre property on Crook Point in southern Curry County. The conservancy is also buying key parcels within Tillamook County s Neskowin Marsh, a unique 300-acre freshwater wetland on the coast just south of Nestucca Bay. Plans call for eventual transfer of the Crook Point and Neskowin Crook Point Marsh properties to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for addition to the agency s complex of national wildlife refuges on the coast. The Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture has asked the state s congressional delegation to try to secure funding for the transfer to refuge status in next year s federal budget. The Nature Conservancy purchased the Crook Point property for $1.9 million earlier this year. Located about 12 miles south of Gold Beach, the isolated headland s offshore rocks support a colony of more than 87,000 breeding Leach s storm petrels. The site s rocky intertidal habitats are some of the most pristine on the Oregon coast, and its beaches are used by sea lions and other marine mammals. Upland habitats support 19 special status plant species. Local residents have long sought David S. Pitkin/USFWS Neskowin Marsh protection for Neskowin Marsh, which faces growing development pressures around its edges. A mix of peat bogs and small lakes, the marsh provides habitat for a diverse array of native wildlife and several rare plant communities in a mile-long trough behind the sand dunes at Kiwanda Beach. The marsh lies about two miles south of the existing Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The Nature Conservancy has secured an option to purchase 150 acres of the marsh for eventual transfer to refuge ownership. Contact: Russ Pinto, The Nature Conservancy, 821 SE 14th Street, Portland OR 97214; David S. Pitkin/USFWS Art contest promotes wetland conservation Maranda Schemanski s watercolor rendition of a pair of bufflehead ducks topped more than 240 submissions from around the state this spring to win best of show honors among Oregon entrants in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest. The Crater High School junior, from Central Point, won the award for the second year in a row, earning a place in the national competition sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The contest is one element of a curriculum that uses the arts to spread the message in public and private schools grades K-12 about the importance of wetlands conservation. Proceeds from sales of the $5 junior duck stamp support habitat conservation and education efforts at the state and federal level. Contact Smoky Cranfill, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Finley Refuge Road, Corvallis OR ; Buffleheads by Maranda Schemanski 6

7 Brant project links students along the flyway Middle school students in three countries are tracking the annual migration of brant, a small black-necked goose, from Alaska to Mexico under a new educational program linking schools along the Pacific Flyway. Oregon participants in the Brant Monitoring Project include Charleston Elementary School and the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, both located on Coos Bay, one of four areas on the Oregon coast where brant spend the winter. Students learn about brant through classroom activities and field trips with local experts, using the Internet and a special website to communicate the results of their monitoring to other participating schools. Project organizers also hope to recruit participants from Tillamook, Brant on Netarts Bay Netarts and Yaquina bays, which also support small winter populations of brant. Nodding beggarticks Bidens cernua Most of the world s 130,000 brant spend the winter in Baja California, but many stop to feed in Oregon estuaries on their northward journey in the spring. The birds are highly sensitive to disturbance, and the population has declined by about onethird since Contact: Glen Alexander, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Bayview-Edison Road, Mount Vernon WA ; ; alex@padillabay.gov. New 4-H curriculum focuses on wetlands Oregon State University Extension Service has released a new curriculum guide for grades 4-5 focused on wetlands and water quality issues. The publication, 4-H Wetland Wonders, is available to teachers free from any OSU County Extension office. Lessons begin with the water cycle and extend through watersheds, ground water, home water uses, and wetland plants, soils and animals. A day-long training workshop for teachers is scheduled for October 9 at the Oregon 4-H Center in Salem. Contact: Virginia Thompson, OSU Extension Service, H Road NW, Salem OR 97304; ; virginia.thompson@orst.edu. Growth habit: Annual native forb; quickly grows to cm tall; stems are erect, tall, slender, smooth and somewhat succulent. Leaves: Opposite; linear to lance-shaped with pointed tip and rounded base; irregularly spaced teeth along leaf edges. Flowers: In many, large yellow flower-like heads that are grouped at ends of long stalks; heads are erect at first but soon droop or bend as if heavy. Habitat: Usually in mud or marshy ground along edges of open water, such as sloughs and ponds; also in slow-moving waters and shrub swamps. Natural history: Nodding beggarticks blooms from late July to mid- September. The tick-like achenes (seeds) are easily shed onto passing animals. They get caught in fur (and clothing) and are thereby carried to new locations. Upland game birds, songbirds, ducks and other waterfowl eat these fruits, although they are not thought to be a favorite or important food plant. Excerpted with permission from Jennifer B. Guard s Wetland Plants of Oregon and Washington. 7

8 Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture OREGON WETLANDS - JULY Laurel Street Lake Oswego OR BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID SALEM, OR PERMIT NO. 81 About Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture is a coalition of private conservation, waterfowl, fisheries and agriculture organizations working with government agencies to protect and restore important wetland habitat. The Joint Venture helps put together partnerships for a variety of wetland-related projects, including habitat restoration and enhancement on private and public lands, acquisition of key areas for permanent protection, and development of educational and interpretive programs. c Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture coordinates state-level activities for two regional partnerships under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, an international effort to conserve wetland habitat for waterfowl and other fish and wildlife. The Pacific Coast Joint Venture, created in 1991, includes all of western Oregon, as well as coastal British Columbia, Washington and northern California. The Intermountain West Joint Venture, started in 1995, covers eastern Oregon and portions of nine other western states. This newsletter is published by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on behalf of the Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture. Publication and mailing costs are covered in part with funding provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and Ducks Unlimited. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife prohibits discrimination in all of its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability. If you believe that you have been discriminated against as described above in any program, activity or facility, please contact the ADA Coordinator, P.O. Box 59, Portland, OR 97207, This material will be furnished in alternate format for people with disabilities if needed. Please call (voice) or (Portland TTY) to request. 8 Steering Committee Defenders of Wildlife Ducks Unlimited National Audubon Society Oregon Duck Hunters Association Oregon Farm Bureau Oregon Trout The Nature Conservancy The Trust for Public Land The Wetlands Conservancy Cooperating Agencies Governor s Watershed Enhancement Board Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Oregon Division of State Lands Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Oregon Department of Transportation U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Land Management U.S. Forest Service Bureau of Reclamation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Natural Resources Conservation Service METRO Executive Director Bruce Taylor Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture 1637 Laurel Street Lake Oswego OR / / fax