McKenzie Watershed Council

It’s an exciting day on the McKenzie River, where in-stream work season begins on the third phase of the South Fork Floodplain Reconnection Project. So, what does it take to reconnect the floodplain? A collaborative effort at landscape scale!

Building on more than a decade of collaborative restoration work in the McKenzie subbasin, this project brings together the USDA Forest Service, the McKenzie Watershed Council (MWC), Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), and McKenzie River Trust (MRT) to implement the third phase of Lower South Fork McKenzie River Valley Reconnection Project. Additional project management and in-water work support are being provided by the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council (UDWC) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) respectively. With a total project cost of approximately $6.4 million, the effort is funded through a combination of federal, state, and local investments, including support from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the USDA Forest Service.

The project is part of a broader, basin-wide effort to restore floodplain connectivity across the Middle McKenzie River system, where partners have already completed several large-scale restoration projects and have more planned in the coming years.

“The scale of this work reflects the strength of our partnerships,” said Darren Cross, McKenzie River District Ranger. “By working together, we’re able to restore entire river systems in ways that wouldn’t be possible individually.”

Throughout the summer, crews will work to reconnect the river to its surrounding valley. This includes redistributing sediment, placing large wood, and reactivating dormant side channels to give the river room to spread out, slow down, and follow its natural processes once again.

Community members may see increased activity in the project area during this time, including heavy equipment and temporary access changes. Efforts are being made to ensure public safety and minimize impacts to people and wildlife.

Check back throughout the summer for project updates and every !

Big things are happening on the South Fork McKenzie River this summer! This video shows the results of Phase 1, completed in 2018. The South Fork Floodplain Reconnection Project - Phase 3 begins this month, launching a multi-partner effort to reconnect flowing water to more than 335 acres across 1.8 miles of the river’s historic floodplain.

The USDA Forest Service Willamette National Forest, in partnership with McKenzie Watershed Council, Eugene Water & Electric Board, and McKenzie River Trust will begin implementing the Lower South Fork McKenzie River Valley Reconnection Project – Phase 3, building on more than a decade of collaborative restoration work in the McKenzie basin. The project will take place upstream of Blue River, Oregon, along Forest Service Road 19.

So, why reconnect the floodplain? Working together to restore natural river processes will improve:
💧 water quality
🐟 fish habitat, and
🤝 community resilience.

The McKenzie River is the source of drinking water for approximately 200,000 people in the Eugene area. The area includes rich habitat for spring Chinook salmon, bull trout, and other native species. Over time, the South Fork McKenzie River has been cut off from its floodplain. These changes have led to faster-moving water, less complex habitat, and diminished capacity for water storage during extreme rain, increasing risk of flooding in the area.

Slowing flows and spreading them out across the floodplain will help to contain sediment churned up during storm events – the greatest contributor of contamination to the McKenzie River. In addition to benefitting water quality, the project will enhance habitat for ESA-listed species and other native wildlife, while also improving the river system’s resilience to wildfire and climate impacts.

Preliminary site work, including staging, is already underway. In-water restoration activities will begin in June, with construction continuing through the summer and project completion anticipated in early September.

Check back throughout the summer for project updates and every !