Rowdy Creek Restoration Planning

This project was 100% funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Resilience Program.

The Planning Strategy of the Shaa-xu’-xat Fisheries Restoration Planning Project is to advance priority anadromous salmonid habitat restoration projects in the Rowdy Creek watershed. To complete the proposed planning the Natural Resources Director, Fisheries Program Manager and Tribal Resource Specialists will work with partner agencies and landowners to create a preliminary list of habitat restoration projects in the Rowdy Creek watershed. The list will be prioritized by the potential benefits afforded to anadromous salmonid habitat in Rowdy Creek. The Fisheries Program Manager and Tribal Resource Specialists will use existing habitat survey data, LIDAR data, aerial imagery and GIS mapping to create a database with the information needed to support the project analysis. TDN staff will also conduct field reconnaissance as needed to identify and rank priority anadromous fish habitat and protection projects in Rowdy Creek. Project ranking criteria will be based on landowner support, salmonid monitoring information, and estimated benefits to anadromous habitat. Information will be organized into scope-of-work and task descriptions needed to apply for design and implementation funding by the Fisheries Program Manager and Tribal Resource Specialists.

The ultimate measure of project success will be the development of a Fisheries Restoration Planning Document for Rowdy Creek to benefit anadromous species that are, and will continue to be, affected by climate change. This information will greatly inform the Nation of management and restoration activities necessary for the protection and preservation of these critical tribal trust species and also provide important information to integrate into the Integrated Resources Management Plan for Fisheries. 

Species that will benefit from the proposed project are SONCC Chinook, SONCC Coho, Klamath Mountains Province steelhead, Coastal Cutthroat trout, Pacific lamprey, brook lamprey, as well as other fish, wildlife, and plants in the watershed that benefit from the marine derived nutrients that an increase in salmonid abundance will provide. Additionally, the flora and fauna of Rowdy Creek will benefit from an increase in stream connectivity and habitat complexity. The completion of a comprehensive plan that prioritizes restoration projects in Rowdy Creek will show that TDN has the capacity to manage trust fish resources and their environments, which is critical as we continue to pursuing recognition of our fishing rights. The results from this project will be documented in a detailed report, shared with our state, federal and environmental partners, and will be used to drive future decision making on fisheries restoration projects within Rowdy Creek.