The Chewaucan is a closed basin river system that stretches a total of 53 miles. The Upper Chewaucan Watershed covers approximately 171,000 acres and is located in south-central Oregon, Lake County, where the Fremont-Winema National Forest meets the high desert. Approximately 44,000 acres or 26% of the watershed is privately owned while the other 127,000 acres or 74% of the watershed is on public lands. The nearest community to this watershed is the town of Paisley where the Chewaucan River runs along the town’s northern edge and continues to flow through what was once the Chewaucan Marsh. This area is now 30,000 acres of irrigated pasture land where the river continues its path, eventually flowing into Lake Abert. Lake Abert provides breeding and staging habitat for thousands of shorebirds and waterbirds representing more than 80 species. The Upper Chewaucan Watershed (HUC 17120006) consists of nine subwatersheds that drain 650 square miles to the Chewaucan River. Waters throughout this system serve native redband trout and other aquatic species, recreators and tourists, along with agriculture producers who depend on the waters for their livelihoods.
Projects in the Upper Chewaucan
Watershed Assessment
Chewaucan Streambank Stabilization
Chewaucan Streambank Stabilization
- In 2021, The Lake County Umbrella Watershed Council, in coordination with local, state, and federal partners secured nearly $100,000 to update the 1999 Upper Chewaucan Watershed Assessment. The Upper Chewaucan Watershed, located in south-central Oregon, consists of a mainstem river and its several tributaries that provides habitat for native Chewaucan Redband trout, winter range for Mule deer, recreation, and thousands of acres of irrigated meadows and rangeland that economically support ranching families in the watershed. An up-to-date watershed assessment will provide area resource managers with information necessary to understand the current watershed conditions, document completed restoration projects, help identify source problems along with restoration opportunities, and prioritize areas of concern. The assessment would begin in early 2022 and conclude in December for 2023. The information will be compiled in a document that will guide action plans and restoration efforts for another 20 years.
Chewaucan Streambank Stabilization
Chewaucan Streambank Stabilization
Chewaucan Streambank Stabilization
- The project will involve streambank stabilization and revegetation of the riparian areas with whole willow transplants and sedge/sod mats. Streambank stabilization will involve recontouring actively eroding streambanks using an excavator to match streambank contours upstream and downstream of the eroding area. This will allow for high stream flows to better access the floodplain which will decrease the rivers ability to erode these areas. Recontoured streambanks will have gravel bars built at the toe of the slopes and whole willow transplants placed just upslope of the toe, sod/sedge mats will be placed on the new recontour. Juniper revetment will be used at some locations. The identified project is a continuation of work performed in 2014-2015 with the support of RAC funding which resulted in 3 miles of streambank stabilization through three private properties and Forest Service managed land. The previous RAC project achieved desired outcomes. Additionally, the proposed project will also complement the Stategic Implementation Area (SIA) Project and Monitoring efforts that began in 2019 to improve water quality in the Upper Chewaucan Watershed. An “SIA” is a geographic area of focus selected by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, in coordination with local partners, with the intent of providing targeted outreach and assistance for landowners to implement projects that improve water quality in the local watershed, while helping landowners adhere to state water quality regulations.