Placing the trees

from left, back row: Bill Robinson, Doug Ray, Walt Weber, Rod Lundberg, Byron Thompson, Bob May, David Illig, Tom Scoggins, Hunter Thompson, seated: Mike Gentry, Jim Ackerman, Ruger Thompson, Richard Hardy, Herb Thompson, Michael Ellis

On July 14th, TVTU members Mike Gentry, Rod Lundberg Doug Ray and David Illig, joined myself, my friend, Richard Hardy, and members of the Rainland Flycasters to place all the trees we have been collecting this Winter and Spring. The Rainland Flycasters were ably represented by Bill Robinson, Walt Weber, Bob May, Jim Ackerman and Tom Scoggins. The Thompson family contingent consisted of Herb Thompson, Byron Thompson, Hunter Thompson and Ruger Thompson. I apologize if I have inadvertently left anyone out.

A large pile of trees awaits placement

When we arrived, Walt Weber was already in the river taking a population survey of the area we would be covering with the trees. He counted about two dozen fish (fry and a few small cutthroat) in the area we were going to cover. 

we will construct the tree raft along the left bank

Walt Weber surveys the construction zone for fish

Walt Weber and Herb Thompson discuss the survey results

Mike and Rod got to work putting together the pontoon boats while everyone else put together a game plan.

Mike and Rod ready the pontoon fleet

Bob May talks over the anchoring method with the crew

We would tie the trees to a rope and use old milk jugs as floats. With this boom we would outline the slack water area we were going to cover with the trees. The pontoon boats would position and anchor the boom and then fill the middle in with trees. 

We tied the trees to a rope and used milk jugs for floats

The tree line grows

By the time Mike got in the water we were ready to start taking the rope across river.

Mike Gentry pushes off to begin building the tree corral

Mike is ready to grab the line 

Mike pulls the line across the river

Mike grabbed the end of the line and began to row. As more trees were added to the river the current started to have an effect.

more trees were added as the line was pulled across the river

Mike Gentry and Rod Lundberg pull the line down to the tie off point

                          we have the bottom of the line anchored and now are positioning the top end

It took a while to get the boom positioned correctly

                            

it's looking pretty good now

As we filled the boom, we used the current of the river to move the trees

Byron Thompson, Rod Lundgren and Mike Gentry corral and wrangle the trees into the structure

Byron Thompson brings more material to the structure

The completed structuture

Doug Ray points out some fish activity in the newly created habitat

The fish were waiting for this. They started inhabiting the trees as soon as they hit the water

The deed is done!

On Saturday, July 14th, members of the Rainland Flycasters and Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited met to complete our Christmas for Coho project. We created a large raft of trees in a slack water area on the Necanicum River to provide food and cover for the little fishes. They started utilizing the trees even while we were placing them. It was incredible.

Coho habitat enhancement project update

Photos and text by Michael Ellis
TVTU Conservation Director





On Friday, June 8th, TVTU members Jeff Price, Mark and Janet Rogers, and Michael Ellis Met at Mckenzie Farms Headquarters by Colton, Oregon to pick up over 100 culled christmas trees.

All were in the 4 to 6 ft. Range. Mckenzie Farms is one of the largest growers of high quality christmas trees in Oregon.

They had a surprise for us when we arrived. There was a crew ready to load our vehicles! 

Those guys were good. They were really able to load trees. I was envious of their packing ability. 

We were loaded up in less than 1/2 hour and we all left for our respective homes.

Saturday morning we got up early and drove to Seaside where we met TVTU members Doug Ray, Mike Coddington and Byron Thompson to drop off the trees at the work site. 

from left: Jeff Price, Doug Ray, Mike Coddington, and Byron Thompson unload the U Haul truck

Our volunteers, from left: 

Janet Rogers, Mark Rogers, Doug Ray, Byron Thompson, Jeff Price, and Mike Coddington

We then headed up to Longview Timber land to harvest more trees for the habitat project. 

Doug and Byron handled the chainsaw duty while the rest of us cut with handsaws and loaded the trucks and trailers. 

Jeff looks for more trees to cut

Byron had a trailer that appeared to be made from a 20 yard dumpster. It was huge.

 In about an hour we had cut about all the material our trucks and trailers could hold so we headed back to add to the pile.

back at the Thompson property ready to unload

We collected lots of trees for habitat

Mark and Janet begin unloading their trailer

Mike starts unloading his pickup

Mike and Jeff next to the load from Mike's truck

now we start in on Byron's trailer

The pile has grown a lot today!

After unloading we walked around the Thompson property and looked at the wetland area Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited is helping to complete. (see above photo)

Doug explains to the volunteers how and where we will be placing the trees we collected

 Byron also showed us some incredible video he has been shooting documenting the utilization of the wetland area as well as the christmas trees by Coho salmon young. These efforts are really paying off. If you would like to see some of Byrons video, check out his facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/cohosanctuary . There are a few u tube videos, but his facebook page is the motherlode.

We are going to be helping place all this material in a large slack water pool on the Necanicum Saturday July 14. This pool is one of the best spots for juvenile fish on the river during the summer and the addition of the cover and food our tree rafts will provide will let them grow fat and sassy for heading out to sea! This should be a very interesting project to participate in. If you would like to help out with this project, let me know by e mail at tvturestoration@gmail.com .

Our dedicated volunteers, from left:

Michael Ellis, Mark Rogers, Janet Rogers, Byron Thompson, Jeff Price, Doug Ray, Mike Coddington

Thank you all for your help

Sincerely,

Michael Ellis

TVTU Conservation Director

Invasive plant removal at Thompson Creek

On May 12 a small but determined group of volunteers met at the North Coast Land Conservancies Thompson Creek site to do battle with the blackberries and scotch broom. I met TVTU members Travis Walters and Jeff Price at the Hillsboro Fred Meyer and we carpooled to the site where we were joined by Celeste Coulter, North coast Land Conservancy Stewardship Director, and volunteers David Lebo, Tyrone Snelling and Sharon Cook.

While there were some small amounts of scotch broom on the property most of the work consisted of blackberry removal. If you have helped out with this in the past, your hard work has really payed off. There are so many fewer blackberries now that removal is mainly patrolling for new growth and clipping stems at ground level.

We went for a walk upstream before getting started and enjoyed the spring weather along the creek.

The first order of business was to choose your weapon.

Then the work began. It was a sunny and warm day in Seaside!

We went over the property cutting all the blackberries and scotch broom we could see.

The hill provided the best site for large blackberry canes. 

All in all we had a very enjoyable day. The weather was great and the work was not too taxing.

From left: Michael Ellis, Celeste Coulter, Travis Walters, Jeff Price, David Lebo