
SF Toutle at Johnson Creek Riparian Restoration
About
LCFEG will formalize and implement a riparian and floodplain enhancement project in the Johnson Creek reach of the SF Toutle River including installation of at least 40 floodplain roughness structures preloaded with organic matter and 38,900 plants over nearly 46 acres. This response reach is struggling to develop a floodplain forest forty years after the 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens (Loowit). The project is designed to retain organic materials and fine sediments necessary to establish floodplain vegetation. LCFEG completed an instream project in this reach in 2017 (SRFB# 14-1335) and this project will complement that project, supplementing and jumpstarting vegetation in both riparian and upland areas. This project will utilize a variety of riparian strategies developed by LCFEG in the Toutle watershed over the last 5 years via implementation of the 14-1338 and 16-1694 projects. Once mature, the floodplain forests created with these projects will support ESA-listed Chinook, coho, and steelhead with food, cover, long-term LWD supply, and a naturally functioning floodplain.
Target Species
Chinook
Coho
Steelhead
Metrics
# Miles of Stream Treated
# Acres of Floodplain Treated
Funding
$296,700