The Association’s legacy as wildlife stewards has been built by its members actively participating in projects intended to enhance sensitive watersheds serving coldwater fisheries where need is the greatest.  Working in close collaboration with State wildlife biologists, the Association continually seeks funding to support fish habitat restoration and monitoring projects.  Aside from grants generously awarded by Foundations, the balance of the funding for each of the chapter’s habitat restoration projects come from their chapter fundraising efforts, individual donations and state grants.
 
The goal of habitat restoration projects is to enhance stream and riparian zone work to benefit naturally spawning fish on the Federal Endangered or Threatened Species lists.  Examples of rivers needing significant habitat restorative attention include the Willamette, McKenzie, Santiam, Sandy, Clackamas and coastal rivers.

The goal of monitoring is to collect data to enable ODFW to better manage fish populations.  Volunteers take part in spawning and juvenile surveys, presence/absence (of fish) surveys, and temperature monitoring.  They cooperate with agencies on more complex data collections.

The Association’s chapters typically utilize considerable volunteer labor from various Association chapters who bring tools to carry out the habitat restoration projects so that project costs are kept low.  At least a dozen members are involved with the work on each project.  Examples of the work include the use of rock filled baskets (gabions) and placed logs to create better spawning conditions for fish.  Specifically, the gabions are placed in stream to collect spawning gravels and to help make jump pools to enhance fish passage over obstacles.  Log placement is used to achieve better fish passage and provide shelter for small fish in high flows.  Riparian zone plantings control erosion.
   
Success of each completed habitat restoration project will be measured by the written certification by the ODFW Wildlife biologist assigned to each project that the Association Chapter overseeing the restoration has met all State and Federal guidelines and regulations for such work.  A time frame for completion is typically assigned by the biologist to ensure little or no interference to natural spawning and is one of the final criteria used in measuring success.

When habitat restoration projects are planned, they will be listed on this link.  Continue to check back to see upcoming projects.