After the phase one work on the Mosby Creek tributary was conducted by putting boulder weirs and other structures in the creek, the need for a rapid bio-assessment was needed. The new data set and restoration plan at a basin scale would help bridge the project team and the technical committee. Coast Fork staff and technical partners embraced the project as an opportunity to update our landowner outreach practices and broaden our restoration planning process too.
SOLUTION
Landowner outreach to 200 properties was conducted in order to secure survey permission and access for the project as well as to develop relationships for future work in the watershed. Beginning in 2012, the Coast Fork began temperature monitoring in Mosby Creek. A fish presence/absence survey in every 5th pool quantified all fish present down to the zero age class occurred at the stream flow ‘pinch point’ in May 2013. A limiting factors analysis survey in July 2013 created an inventory of habitat limiting factors and opportunities based on anthropogenic and natural features observed.
RESULT
The primary outcome of this technical assistance project is the Mosby Limiting Factors Assessment. The resulting study results include a prioritized restoration plan that has been shared with local landowners and restoration partners and used for restoration planning. Highlights from the project include: field documentation of Pacific lamprey spawning in Mosby Creek where significant depositional areas of ‘steelhead’ gravels were identified; documentation of a few, manageable knotweed patches and garnering landowner cooperation with treatment; and laying the scientific groundwork for future restoration in Mosby Creek. This project was featured on the cover of the Fall
2013 Restore Newsletter that announced the discovery of a successful population of Pacific lamprey (pictured below) in Mosby Creek.
