For years, dedicated partners in Sherwood have been working diligently to transform a significant stretch of Chicken Creek. This remarkable journey began in 1996, fueled by the passionate grassroots advocacy of organizations like the Friends of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Their support played a crucial role in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s acquisition of the surrounding land, paving the way for initial restoration efforts. Building on this momentum, in 2009, residents of Green Heron Drive, in collaboration with the City of Sherwood, contractors, and other crucial partners, initiated further enhancements to the creek near its intersection with Roy Rogers Road, a busy local thoroughfare. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continued to expand community involvement, establishing volunteer opportunities for hands-on creekside restoration near the refuge’s southern boundary starting in 2017.
More recently, Sherwood partners successfully completed a long-anticipated project, realigning Chicken Creek to its historical course. This innovative approach embraced the natural engineering capabilities of beavers, recognizing their vital role in the strategic placement of woody debris and the promotion of natural revegetation. The project encompassed several key steps: meticulously modeling and excavating the creek’s historic channel, redirecting the existing channel and filling it in, constructing two new bridges to span the realigned waterway, aggressively removing invasive plant species and replanting native vegetation, re-establishing the creek’s vital connection to its floodplain, and implementing a comprehensive long-term monitoring program to track progress and ensure sustained success.
Embracing Natural Solutions for Enhanced Habitat
A key feature of this Sherwood partners’ project was the deliberate integration of optimized beaver habitat into the revegetation and construction plans. This forward-thinking strategy eliminated the need for traditional engineered water control infrastructure. By leveraging the natural processes enhanced by woody debris, the restored creek path now provides an ideal environment for the migration and spawning of the Upper Willamette River Steelhead, a federally recognized threatened species. This habitat improvement is anticipated to significantly boost steelhead populations and enhance the overall ecological value of the area.
Benefits Beyond Ecology: Community and Economy
As wildlife reclaims its historical habitat within Chicken Creek’s rejuvenated wetlands, the creek’s restoration will contribute significantly to a healthier overall watershed. Furthermore, these Sherwood partners’ restoration efforts extend beyond environmental benefits, positively impacting the local economy and community. The enhanced and protected Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge serves as a vital destination for environmental education, fostering regional pride and attracting visitors, thereby bolstering the local economy.
Learn More About the Chicken Creek Transformation
To delve deeper into the initial phase of this transformative project, explore the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge’s multimedia story.
For additional details, refer to the Sherwood Gazette’s article covering the project’s commencement (dated August 20, 2019).
