Increasing Stream Complexity - the Key to Recovery of Oregon Coast Coho Salmon

The key to recovery of ESA-listed Oregon Coast Coho Salmon is increasing the quantity and quality of rearing habitat. A project team including OWEB, ODFW, NOAA Fisheries, NFWF, and the Wild Salmon Center recently selected three coastal watershed partnerships (the Nehalem, Siuslaw and Elk) to develop enhanced Strategic Action Plans (SAPs) for coho habitat which will serve as models that can be replicated across 29 independent coastal coho populations in Oregon, creating a common framework for population-scale recovery planning and implementation that applies the best available scientific information.

We intend to apply the best available tools for assessing habitat conditions and prioritizing strategies and actions for salmon recovery, in combination with local work already performed, to more proactively guide habitat restoration funding. We are in the process of planning how to apply work done by NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, ODFW, OWEB, local restoration efforts, using the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation, Miradi, NetMap, USGS analyses, etc. and welcome suggestions from AFS members.

In particular, we will reach out to the agricultural community, including Oregon Department of Agriculture, NRCS, EPA, ODEQ, and local landowners to explore ways to sustain both agriculture and salmon habitat in a collaborate effort.