Field Tour Coordinators: Charnna Gilmore, Scott River Watershed Council, Executive Director; Betsy Stapleton, Scott River Watershed Council, Project Development & Permitting Specialist; Erich Yokel, Scott River Watershed Council, Monitoring Supervisor and Project Manager; Amy Campbell, Senior Project Manager, The Nature Conservancy; Molly Breitmun, Stewardship Manager, The Nature Conservancy

 

This full-day field tour will showcase ongoing restoration efforts within the Scott River Watershed, a major tributary of the Klamath River. Since 2014, the Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC) and) has worked to address the challenges facing working landscapes, tackling both legacy impacts and present-day conditions, through collaborative solutions and community engagement. With The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Scott Watershed conservation purchases in 2023, SRWC and TNC have been working together to achieve large scale restoration in the watershed.

 

The Scott River, a critical stronghold for coho recovery in the Klamath River Basin, has been a focal point for implementing restoration techniques that match the scale and complexity of the challenges it faces. The SRWC has employed a range of approaches, from low-tech, process-based methods such as beaver dam analog installations to highly engineered solutions, to address these complex issues.

 

This tour will feature current restoration efforts underway in the Scott River tailings, showcasing a range of strategies aimed at rehabilitating this heavily altered landscape. Participants will see firsthand how the Scott River Watershed Council and its partners are implementing beaver dam analogs (BDAs), constructing floodplains and side channels to reconnect the river with its historic habitat, and acquiring key properties to secure opportunities for long-term recovery. These efforts are designed not only to improve habitat complexity and water quality but also to lay the groundwork for sustained ecological resilience in this critical reach of the watershed.

 

The second portion of the tour will focus on French Creek, one of the West Coast’s most important contributors to coho salmon populations. The SRWC and TNC will guide participants through a series of restoration sites, highlighting a comprehensive, watershed-scale approach that integrates instream habitat improvements with forest health initiatives. These efforts address critical needs such as enhancing spawning and rearing habitat, improving water quality, and reducing wildfire risk, demonstrating how coordinated actions across the landscape can bolster the long-term resilience of both the steam systems and its fisheries.

 

Lastly, the tour will showcase innovative technology that supports the agricultural community in managing cattle while minimizing impacts to sensitive areas such as riparian corridors and meadow systems. Participants will learn how these tools, such as virtual fencing, are helping balance productive grazing with the protection and restoration of critical habitats.