The project purpose is to restore spawning and rearing habitats for coho salmon in wildcat creek, a tributary to the scott river in the klamath basin ecoregion

Summary

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Region 8 awarded The Scott River Watershed Council a $172,101 Cooperative Agreement under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (CFDA 15.631) effective October 1, 2025, through January 31, 2029. The award funds habitat restoration work in Wildcat Creek, a tributary to the Scott River in the Klamath Basin Ecoregion of Northern California. The project will construct three wood structures and six beaver dam analogs (BDAs)—structures that mimic beaver dams using wooden posts driven vertically into the creek bed with native materials woven between them—to slow creek flows and create spawning and rearing habitat for coho salmon. Additionally, the project will grade the floodplain and existing side channels, and install roughness elements consisting of large logs to increase connectivity with the main creek and create slow-water rearing habitat.

These on-the-ground restoration activities directly support coho salmon recovery actions and align with DOI strategic objectives for species protection and collaborative conservation partnerships. The scope of work is typical of the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, which provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners, tribes, and nonprofits for habitat restoration on non-federal lands benefiting federal trust species.

This project will construct three wood structures and six beaver DAM analogs (BDA), structures mimicking beaver dams, in wildcat creek and grade and add roughness elements to the floodplain and existing side channels. The bdas will consist of wooden posts driven vertically into the creek bed with native materials woven between the posts. The wood structures will consist of large logs anchored into the creek banks and trees that are cut and dropped directly into the creek. The bdas and wood structures will slow creek flows, creating slow water rearing habitat and sort gravels used for spawning. Grading will increase floodplain and side channel connectivity with the creek and roughness elements consisting of large logs will create slow water rearing habitat on the floodplains and in the side channels. This project will implement identified coho salmon recovery actions and will achieve DOI proposed strategic objectives 3.4 species and natural resources are protected and 4.2 work collaboratively with states, partners, and governments by supporting species populations and health and by supporting public-private partnerships.