The construction portion of the Whychus Creek restoration project at Rimrock Ranch is now complete! Construction crews worked for about seven weeks restoring a 1/2 mile section of Whychus Creek at the south end of Rimrock Ranch. Whychus Creek is now flowing across its new floodplain! Watch our video to see how the creek has been transformed:
Timeline of the Restoration:
- July 6th: Construction began. This included shaping the floodplain, adding woody debris, and leaving islands of mature vegetation along the creek. See our first update about restoration.
- July 6th-7th: Fish were rescued and moved from the Whychus Creek restoration area. Many partners helped with these efforts. In addition, barriers were added to both sides of the restoration project so fish did not swim through the area during construction.
- July 12th-16th: Construction was halted during the Grandview Fire. Crestline Construction helped battle the blaze using their equipment. See our Grandview Fire update, including more details on Crestline Construction's efforts.
- July 19th: Construction in the restoration area began again. See our second update as restoration continued.
- August 4th-17th: Water was slowly moved into the restored floodplain in three separate phases.
- October: Native plantings will occur throughout the restoration area.
- Moving Forward: We'll let the land and water rest, recover, and evolve.
What's next? This fall, native plantings will be added to the banks of the creek and you can volunteer to help! Then we will let the restoration area rest and recover.
Learn more:
- Why are we restoring Whychus Creek and who is doing the restoration
- The importance of woody debris in streams restoration projects
- Why meadows are so important to the health of Whychus Creek
- What is the hyporheic zone?