January/February 2011 Newsletter Available for Download

The latest (January/February) issue of the chapter newsletter is now available.  Click on the link to the right to download.

November/December Newsletter Available for Download

The latest (November/December) issue of the chapter newsletter is now available.  Click on the link to the right to download.

Volunteers needed for a Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited work party December 11th

Our last work party of the year is scheduled for December 11th. We will be working on the Ecola creek watershed planting Cedars. Trout Unlimited has recently entered into a partnership with the city of Cannon Beach and this will be the beginning of work on a watershed that provides habitat for Wild Winter Steelhead,Fall Chinook, Cutthhroat Trout and Lamprey.  This event is weather dependent and if we get rained out we will re schedule for January.

There will be a carpool from Portland and possibly some fishing opportunities afterwards.

If you would like to participate in this work party please respond to Michael Ellis at tvturestoration@gmail.com.

Volunteer Opportunity

2010 Salmon Spawning Survey Training – October 16^th at the Gales Creek Elementary School, 1925 NW Sargent Street, Gales Creek, OR

(GC Elementary School is approximately 7.5 miles from Forest Grove on Gales Creek Rd aka Hwy 8, or 2.3 miles south on Gales Creek Rd from the intersection of Gales Creek Rd & the Wilson River Hwy aka Hwy 6).  

Interested landowners and volunteers are invited to this hands-on training session with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel on how to identify fall coho, winter steelhead trout, native cutthroat trout, spawning redds and other aquatic life in Gales Creek, its tributaries and other Tualatin basin tributaries. 

This is part of the spawning monitoring program ODFW and TRWC have initiated to gather information on important fish resources in the Tualatin basin. We are recruiting volunteers and landowners to conduct surveys in specified stream reaches from October 2010-December 2010 and from March 2011 through May 2011. 

Classroom: Information session and volunteer training: 10 am until 11:15 am  Field session: 11:15 am – 2:30 pm in upper main stem Gales Creek. 

Dress for the weather.  Chest or hip waders are required for performing surveys. 

Benefits: This is a great chance to get hands on experience in helping collect data about fish presence in various Tualatin basin streams to help us plan projects; learn how to recognize various fish species and spawning redds; and better manage these important fish runs.

More information:  503-846-4810 or trwc@easystreet.net 

 Engaging the community to sustain our watershed 

Volunteers install Circle Creek bridge deck

The volunteers, from left, Michael Ellis, Tom Scoggins, Bob May, Burt Went, Mike Gentry, Bobby Hayden, Tom Wolf, Alan Moore, Roy Caulfield. Not pictured, Troy Laws, ODFW
Photo by Troy Laws

On August 18, ten volunteers from The Rainland Flycasters, the Clackamas and Tualatin Valley chapters of Trout Unlimited, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and, Save Our Wild Salmon met at Seaside golf course to continue work on the bridge to replace the culverts on Circle Creek.

We started by tightening the bolts on the crossbeams and laying out the support beams.

We had great cool weather and a spectacular group of volunteers. By the end of the work party the bridge was ready to have the approaches and railing installed. After that, the culverts come out.

This was a very rewarding day for all the volunteers. If you would like to be notified of upcoming volunteer restoration opportunities, send an e mail to Michael Ellis at tvturestoration@gmail.com and ask to be on the e mail volunteer list.

Thanks go out to Troy Laws for being the driving force behind this project as well as all the volunteers and other partners who have made this project come to fruition.

Sincerely,

Michael Ellis

September / October Newsletter Now Available

The latest (September/October) issue of the chapter newsletter is now available.  Click on the link to the right to download.

Update on the Circle Creek culvert removal and volunteer opportunities

The work at Circle Creek continues. Here is Troy's update:


"Project update:  The footing work went very well, with the abutments now completely in place.  Wayne Fulmer’s dad passed away this past week so coordinating the next step in the construction sequence was put on hold.  Wayne is the Golf Course owner.  They had their memorial this past weekend so I will be getting in touch with him this week to further schedule this out.  Ideally, Wayne would like us to minimize disturbance of golf play so we must maintain a crossing as best as we can to keep play going.  I’m working on seeing if he will let us put the bridge approaches in as the next step (another volunteering opportunity) so we are ready for golf traffic onto the bridge right away once we are done with our decking work.  If allowed to do this way, I see us as being able to keep the heavy equipment on site to remove the culverted crossing once the bridge is put into play.  Also in the works is the Oregon division of state lands has our easement permit out for 30-day public review, with the comment deadline of August 28.  I am assuming we will get the easement approved with no problems so I am proceeding forward with construction as best as possible.  Right now, it is looking like the last week of August for our volunteer work party planning purposes."

Based on Troy's update, Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited is planning a work party for Saturday August 28. There will be fishing opportunities before and after. I plan on trying for the (to me) as yet elusive Searun Cutthroat Trout. The work will start at 10 AM. Plan on bringing a lunch and gloves and appropriate clothing. I'll send out updates as plans solidify. 

It would be nice to have an idea how many can come so please reply to Michael Ellis at tvturestoration@gmail.com if you can attend.

It is possible to float tube from the ODFW put in on Hwy. 101 and float to the mouth of Circle Creek. With fishing it could take 3 hours at least. This would be great after the work party! I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Michael Ellis

Culvert replacement work at Seaside golf course begins

After over a year of delays our chapter was able to start work on the culvert replacement at Circle Creek last Saturday, July 17. TVTU Members Mike Coddington, Alan Moore, Mike Gentry, Bill Schoen, Tom Wolf, and, Michael Ellis joined Troy Laws of ODFW and two members of the Rainland Fly Casters, Bob May and Ernie Rose to clean up the main support beams for the bridge.

We pulled nails, removed bolts and pressure washed. Troy, with Bob and Ernie's help, measured and cut the beams to length. More work will be needed this summer/early fall to install the deck surface and restore the area where the culverts have been removed.

Most of the crew, from the left,: Mike Gentry, Alan Moore, Bill Schoen, Tom Wolf, Troy Laws, Mike Coddington, Michael Ellis. Managing to escape being photographed are Bob May and Ernie Rose.

Next work party set for July 17/18

Our next work party will be the weekend of July 17 and 18 and will be a weekend long event planned around fishing for native Sea Run Cutthroat trout!  We can begin gathering Friday evening. The schedule will be fishing early and late, with  work in the middle of the day. You can camp or stay in a motel and there will be a hosted barbecue Saturday night. Stay tuned to this site for more information, or, e mail tvturestoration@gmail.com and ask to be put on the e mail list for the next work party/fishing trip.

I hope we will be working on the bridge at Circle Creek, but if that doesn’t work out we will work at either the Thompson Creek site or at Neitzel Farms.  This should be a great opportunity to help improve habitat and go fishing too!

I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Michael Ellis

July/August Newsletter Available

The latest (July/August) issue of the chapter newsletter is now available.  Click on the link to the right to download.