Our study site is located roughly 30 miles east of Eugene on Highway 126. The site is a 0.25 acre section of Goose Creek on the property of Whitewater Ranch, which is owned and operated by Jim and Jane Russell (See Fig. 1). Goose Creek is riparian habitat connected to the McKenzie River flood channel, flowing northeast and bending to the west through the center of the Ranch's many blueberry fields. Previous management disrupted some natural stream functions, including channelization for agricultural uses, native vegetation removal, and overgrazing by cattle. Today, aggressive invasive species, such as Reed Canarygrass and Himalayan Blackberry, are dominant along Goose Creek, further degrading habitat.
Over the past three years, ELP teams planted over 120 plants, bringing 16 differing types of native trees and shrubs back to Goose Creek: Douglas Spirea, Willow, Dogwood, Pacific Ninebark, Mock Orange, Ocean Spray, Tall Oregon Grape, Red Flowering Currant, Oregon Ash, and Vine Maple. ELP is excited to help foster the growth and development of this budding riparian forest for years to come.
Study Site
Figure 1: Aerial view of our study site. Red and blue lines mark the flow of the creek and the connection to the McKenzie River; yellow indicates the 0.25 acre portion that will receive treatment.
