andersee@onid.orst.edu

Throughout western North America urbanization, resource extraction and agriculture have led to extensive road building.  As a result, thousands of culverts were installed to facilitate road stream crossings. Culverts were commonly installed without considering fish passage resulting in projects that, although low in cost, did not mimic natural stream conditions and often blocked access to spawning and rearing habitat.  Given that maintaining connectivity of the aquatic network is a high priority for resource managers, it is important to correct barrier culverts .  The identification of which culverts to replace first and the methodology used to select them can be a challenging proposition however . 

Landscape characteristics can be used to prioritize subbasins and stream reaches for restoration.  Calculating mean annual stream flow, channel gradient and valley-width index from 10 meter digital elevation models (DEMs) was found acceptable as a technique to predict the potential of a stream reach to provide rearing habitat for juvenile steelhead trout (Onkchorinkus mykiss) in the Oregon Coast Range.  The methodology, called intrinsic potential, used empirical data to correlate stream characteristics and juvenile steelhead use.  Analyzing 20 years of steelhead redd survey data from four Willamette River basin watersheds, showed that geology, particularly alluvium, was a predictor for redd abundance.  Using this information, in combination with stream temperature, land use, land cover type and current knowledge of fish presence, can help to prioritize barrier culverts.

The objective of this project is to assess and prioritize barrier culverts in the Santiam River basin in order to improve anadromous fish passage.  A Geographic Information System (GIS) geodatabase that illustrates culvert locations and passability status, habitat characteristics of the stream network and current data on Winter Steelhead trout (Onkchorinkus mykiss) and Spring Chinook salmon (Onkchorinkus tshawytscha) will be created.  By analyzing the spatial distribution of culverts, landscape attributes, stream conditions and fish data across the basin, a prioritized list of fifth and sixth order basins will be produced.  This list will be used for planning the summer 2008 field season for culvert surveys.  The USFS Fish Xing protocol will be used to assess culvert passability.  Upon completion of field culvert passability surveys, a prioritized list of culverts for correction will be produced.  The GIS geodatabase and list of prioritized culverts will be provided to the North and South Santiam Watershed Councils to assist in management activities.

Personal Interests:
My interests are numerous and diverse.  Here's a brief list; music, playing guitar, reptiles, bow hunting, world travel and Far Side cartoons.