Salmon Habitat & Stream Connectivity at Plunkett Creek

Join LWC and ODFW staff for a guided riparian habitat walk along the Plunkett Creek Trail

Date:    Saturday, October 3
Time:    9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Place:   Beazell Memorial Forest (Link to Google Maps)
Cost:     FREE (RSVP is required!)

Join LWC staff and ODFW Fish Biologist Reed Fischer for a guided walk along Plunkett Creek at Beazell Memorial Forest. This slow-paced, family-friendly tour explores what native salmonids and lamprey need to survive and reproduce, and what makes a healthy stream and riparian corridor.

​Along the way, we'll talk about the spawning habitat salmon depend on, including the gravel, flow, and water temperature conditions that support successful reproduction. We'll look at streamside vegetation and how shade, root structure, and woody debris help protect water quality and provide cover for fish and other wildlife. We'll also touch on the wider riparian community that rely on a healthy stream corridor to survive. And we'll discuss fish passage and habitat connectivity, including a look at a nearby ODOT culvert modification project that was just completed in August and reopens an additional 0.9 miles of upstream habitat for salmon, trout and lamprey.

Click here to buy tickets
Sell tickets online with Ticket Tailor

Note that this event will involve walking approximately 1.5 miles along a shaded, riverside loop trail that has a gradual elevation gain of 288 feet. Please make sure to dress for the weather, wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes, and bring your water bottle. You are also invited to bring a bag lunch for an optional picnic lunch at the Beazell Memorial Forest Center after the tour. ​

About the Event Leads:
​

Reed Fischer is a fish biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, working with the Mid-Willamette Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program (STEP). He works closely with local watershed councils and volunteers to support healthy, self-sustaining fish populations throughout the region.

Aubrey Siddiqui-Cloud started working to restore the Willamette Valley’s native habitats in 2016, when he was hired as a restoration contractor for a local reforestation crew. Then, in 2020, he transitioned to a new role as a Restoration Project Manager for both the Luckiamute Watershed Council and the Marys River Watershed Council, where he continues to improve riparian and floodplain forest habitat within a wide range of sites throughout the Willamette Valley. ​ 

---