Valentine Creek Restoration

The North San­ti­am Water­shed Coun­cil has select­ed Valen­tine Creek as a pri­or­i­ty sub-basin for restora­tion and enhance­ment. Valen­tine Creek is an impor­tant trib­u­tary of the North San­ti­am Riv­er, enter­ing the main­stem just above the town of Stay­ton and just below the Upper Ben­nett Dam and the Geren Island Water Treat­ment Facil­i­ty. Approx­i­mate­ly 22 square miles of land, pri­mar­i­ly agri­cul­tur­al and rur­al res­i­den­tial, make up the land area that drains into Valen­tine Creek.

In 2009, Valen­tine Creek was select­ed to be a part of the Willamette Mod­el Water­shed Pro­gram, a region­al pro­gram designed to improve water­shed health. Since 2009, four landown­ers have part­nered with the Coun­cil to restore approx­i­mate­ly 19 acres of native veg­e­ta­tion on Valen­tine Creek. Restora­tion in Valen­tine Creek has includ­ed clear­ing of inva­sive species, plant­i­ng of native trees and shrubs, and a robust main­te­nance sys­tem to ensure that plants can be “free to grow.” Through con­tin­ued main­te­nance, the Coun­cil hopes to cre­ate a mature ripar­i­an buffer of native trees and shrubs that can pro­vide shade and habi­tat for fish and wildlife habi­tat. Root sys­tems of native plant species also pro­vide some sta­bil­i­ty to stream­banks and fil­ter water enter­ing the sys­tem through the subsurface.

Restora­tion and con­ser­va­tion efforts along the Valen­tine Creek trib­u­tary to the North San­ti­am Riv­er are part of a larg­er region­al ini­tia­tive to improve water qual­i­ty. Restora­tion efforts in Valen­tine Creek are ongo­ing. The North San­ti­am Water­shed Coun­cils hopes to con­tin­ue to part­ner with landown­ers in the Valen­tine Creek water­shed on restora­tion projects.