The completion of restoration at Quartz Creek bolsters a growing network of efforts to protect water and wildlife across the McKenzie River watershed.

Following months of concerted effort, Quartz Creek is flowing a bit more freely. This summer, a team of local, state, and federal partners came together to complete a restoration project that reconnects the creek to its historic floodplain and helps build resilience for the McKenzie River and the people who depend on it.

For those who passed the site by car or boat in recent months, the work was easy to spot. Excavators and crews were busy reshaping the creek; digging new channels, moving soil, and anchoring large logs in place. These changes aim to slow the flow of water, create quiet backwaters for fish, and give sediment a place to settle. The result is a healthier, more dynamic creek system where salmon, trout, lamprey, beavers, and other wildlife can thrive.

The project also offers a safeguard for people. The lands surrounding Quartz Creek were heavily burned in the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire, leaving the watershed vulnerable to erosion and heavy runoff. By allowing the creek to function more naturally, the restoration will help the area trap more sediment before it reaches the McKenzie River, improving water clarity and reducing treatment needs at Eugene Water & Electric Board’s downstream Hayden Bridge Water Treatment Plant. As Susan Fricke, EWEB’s Water Resources and Quality Assurance Supervisor, explains: “Quartz Creek was heavily burned in the Holiday Farm Fire, and we expect to see some upslope erosion sending contaminants down into the creek. This project helps to restore the natural processes that maintain water quality.”

The Quartz Creek project is just the latest accomplishment in a basin-wide effort to give the McKenzie River and its tributaries more freedom to move. Over the past several years, partners, led by the McKenzie Watershed Council and U.S. Forest Service, have restored more than 400 acres of floodplain between Finn Rock and the river’s headwaters, including projects on Deer Creek, Finn Rock Reach, and the South Fork of the McKenzie River. These efforts aim to protect clean water, improve fish habitat, and strengthen the entire watershed in the face of fire, floods, and other challenges.

The Quartz Creek restoration project was led by the McKenzie Watershed Council, and supported by many committed partners, including the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), Haley Construction Company, Inc., McKenzie River Trust, Revive Riverscape Solutions, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and Wolf Water Resources. Funding to support the work was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB).

This project highlights what our communities can accomplish working together. By pooling our resources and expertise, we are not only restoring special places like Quartz Creek but also strengthening the resilience of communities and the watersheds we depend on. Together, we are protecting clean water, supporting wildlife, and preparing our communities to better withstand future floods, fires, and unforeseen changes ahead.

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