Side channel salmonid habitat is critical to the rearing life cycle stage of native fish. Mr. Gorman worked with multiple stakeholders including Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Clackamas River Basin Council, Clackamas County, Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District, US Fish and Wildlife Service and private property owners in assessing restoration opportunities on Fisher’s Bend, a unique 72-acre side-channel enhancement opportunity in the Clackamas River Basin. The primary design goal successfully achieved was to reconnect the Clackamas River to this riparian floodplain at lower flows and provide refuge and off-channel rearing habitat for threatened juvenile salmonids at critical stages in their life cycle. Project successes included enhancement of existing fish and wildlife habitat, improving water quality and restoring ecological functions and processes for the floodplain, streams and wetlands of this site. Mr. Gorman worked closely with the regulatory agencies to obtain permits for the project and assisted with grant applications to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) to secure funding for the design and construction of the project.
Side Channel Salmonid Habitat Restoration
