The Nicolai-Wickiup watershed council has made Big Creek it's number one priority project in the watershed. The short term focuses is compile existing habitat data, implement a habitat survey, monitoring adult spawner counts, juvenile snorkel surveys and trap juveniles salmonids. The councils has formed the Big Creek Sub-committee comprised of: Resource Manager for Hampton Affiliates (largest land owner in the watershed), manager of the Big Creek Fish Hatchery, retired OSU Extension Fisheries Agent, ODFW biologist, North Coast Steward for The Nature Conservancy and Nicolai-Wickiup Watershed Council coordinator.

Background

Big Creek is the largest sub-basin in the Nicolai-Wickiup Watershed at 21,247 acres. ODFW operates a hatchery at approximately RM 3.5. Above the hatchery there are 91 miles of streams and an unknown amount of spawning habitat. Started in 1996 management at Big Creek includes passing all non fin-clipped steelhead, coho salmon and searun cutthroat trout. Partially because of this practice, the watershed council has identified habitat improvements and hatchery facility improvements as the top priority project for the council.

The ultimate goal is on-the-ground restoration of Big Creek. The final product from this project will be a document highlighting existing habitat data and data collected via implementing snorkel and spawning surveys which will lead to a restoration plan. Technical assistance is needed to gather existing habitat data and implement spawning and snorkeling sites in Big Creek. This information will allow the watershed council to determine the most productive areas to implement on-the-ground restoration.

Currently we have funds from Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct snorkel surveys and implement a basin-wide Aquatic Habitat Inventory. The inventory will look at riparian habitat, substrate, spawning habitat and other features. This will lead to a restoration plan for Big Creek.