Two-thirds of the 120,000 forested acres that is now in Redwood National and State Parks had been clear-cut logged before the parks were established. Logging operations didn't just harm the forests - but it also impacted all the streams, creeks, and rivers in what is called the "watershed". Without a healthy watershed the wildlife and the forests can not flourish. Fish like engangered Coho salmon struggle to survive in the damaged riperian areas. Since the 1980s we have been working on restoring damaged riparian areas in the parks. A large part of the Redwoods Rising restoration project will focus on removing logging roads and riparian restoration. You can experience a 360 degree video of healthy Godwood Creek in the redwoods, and a 360 degree video of unhealthy May Creek in the redwoods that was buried during logging in the early 1960s.
Riparian Restoration in the Redwoods
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We are improving fish habitat by removing upslope sources of erosion and sediment such as abandoned logging roads. In past decades when these legacy roads have failed in major winter storms, hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of sediment and dirt entered the watershed. These landslides buried streams and creeks where salmon and other species lived. On a smaller scale across dozens of places we also will continue to remove earthen bridges built to support logging trucks when they used to cross the streams and creeks. Often these bridges have culverts (pipes) that are too small for the stream's flow, or the culverts have rusted away and become blocked with debris. This failure of the culverts means fish cannot swim upstream, and the diverted water flow will also cause downstream erosion.
Two Creeks: Two Different Stories
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In the Greater Mill Creek (GMC) and the Greater Prairie Creek (GPC) watersheds we continue to restore stream habitats. This means heavy equipment is used to remove human-made obstructions like earthen bridges, to dig down to reveal the original stream channel, placement of large wood back into in the streams to provide deep pools and resting zones for fish, and planting of native species along the riparian areas. In many places in the parks this has been completed - not only has this benefited the ecosystem - but it has allowed for the creation of hike and bike opportunities at places like Lost Man Creek Trail. Annually, there are restoration events put on by the Watershed Stewards Program where the public can participate in some riparian restoration activities.
Mill Creek Restoration
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Last updated: April 18, 2022