A quick inspection of the Milk Creek Project log structures shows grasses and willows sprouting, even though fall rains have not yet arrived. Milk Creek water is clear as it flows past the […]
Archive | Fish and wildlife habitat
The Fish and Wildlife Habitat category is about developing habitat conditions to enhance the life cycle of wild creatures, including fish. Our Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and riparian restoration activities are focused on habitat but also provide water quality benefits.
Plant a Patch of Flowering Plants for Pollinators
Plant a patch of flowering plants to attract native pollinators like bees, butterflies, and beetles! The value these small creatures provide is extraordinary. While honeybees do pollinate crops, so do our less heralded […]
Milk Creek Project: Water is Flowing in the Restored Channel
The contractor and engineers worked closely today to return Milk Creek to the old channel. Stream riffles that existed before the project were restored. Great progress was made on engineered log jams downstream […]
Milk Creek Project: Surface Seeded and Bank Shaping Underway
What a difference a day makes! Topsoil was spread today and raked to provide good soil-to-seed contact. Straw mulch was placed to help with germination of the seed. The opposite bank is being […]
Milk Creek Project: Final Grade Achieved Today
The remainder of backfilling the structure was completed today, topsoil was replaced, and smoothing of the restored upper bank was started. Tomorrow, the surface will be smoothed, cobbles will be picked and raked, […]
Milk Creek Project: Upstream End Finished to Final Grade
Now we can see what the finished log jam system will look like! Contractors finished packing soil on the upstream end and graded the surface back to the original grade. Add some biodegradable […]
Milk Creek Project: We See How It Will Look
More logs, more slash, more boulders, more rock, more soil! Excellent progress was made today on the log jam. The upstream end is just about completed with soil compacted up to grade. Photos […]
Milk Creek Project: Adding Materials to the Engineered Log Jam
We abbreviate “engineered log jam” as ELJ. The photos collected today show the final length of the structure, and the progression of work as slash, cobbles, and boulders are used to fill in […]
Milk Creek Project: Last Base Logs Installed
The last base logs were added today and most of the cross-logs with root wads attached were added. Today you can see how the project sweeps along the curve of the stream channel! […]