Heernett Foundation Plans

An adjacent two acres has been planted with approximately 2000 more native wetland trees and shrubs to reestablish an emergent wetland forest.  This section is just down stream of the Cozy Valley Pond in a small, lower gradient area of the valley.

2009

The historic Sampson Farm, located at the west end of Cozy Valley, is a mosaic of emergent wetlands, seasonal wetlands, and upland forests.  This property consist of 85 acres, approximately 30 acres of forest, and 55 acres of wetlands. This property also contains the last reach of Cozy Valley Creek just before it merges with Northcraft Creek.  Northcraft Creek has currently and historically remained salmonid spawning habitat, while Cozy Valley Creek has remained juvenile rearing habitat.  This reach of Scatter Creek headwaters is critical to on going salmonid survival. 

HEF feels that it is imperative that this special property become protected along with all of our other adjacent properties.   Once this property is protected HEF can then move forward with continuing enhancement projects in Cozy Valley.  Our hope would be to return a small portion of this lower valley reach back into a submerged wetland with beaver, water foul, and other important wetland wildlife, as wetland complexes are becoming more rare with continued development in floodplain through out the Chehalis Basin.

Water Quality Monitoring with

Local Students

A long-term goal for HEF is to continue our on going regional outreach efforts.  We feel that one of the best ways to accomplish that is to work with local students in the community.  HEF wants to establish a Water Quality Monitoring Program with all the local 5th graders and 8th graders in the Tenino School District.  This would give the students two different opportunities to learn about water issues in the Chehalis Basin and the Scatter Creek Watershed.  Having a basic understanding and connection to your watershed provides a baseline of knowledge about ecology and the connectedness between yourself and the environment.

In partnership with ESD 113 in Olympia WA, we were able to supply our local students with 4 Water Quality kits, and two annual field trips, to get out and perform a series of tests, to include; PH, Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, Nitrates, and Phosphates.  These basic test results are then compiled and reviewed during the annual "Student Congress" in March of each year, were our local students can compare and discuss their specific results with other students from around the Chehalis Basin.  These are amazing opportunities to connect students of all ages, from around the basin to understand and get involved with important regional water issues.

Cozy Valley Creek

Phase II

This 3000 linear section of Cozy Valley Creek is a continuation of the Phase I, it just adjacent downstream. Again, it is a remnant old agricultural ditch, which has no diversity or habitat for local aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. There is no riparian zone for shade or temperature control.

Cozy Valley Creek

Phase III

This part of the project is mainly continuing with the native plant planting around Cozy Valley Creek both Phase I and II. Creating a contiguous riparian zone for the entire project area.

We will have planted several thousands of native plants by the time we finish with part of the project.

Heernett is trying to obtain an easement to cross the Thurston County Park and Recreations “Rails to Trails” which runs parallel to our property and Hwy 507. This easement will allow us to cross the trail system to gain access onto our property. The easement would be used for maintenance and monitoring our property as well as a future thinning for diseased trees in small specific areas of the property.

This is an important part of our organization. It is critical that we continually go out and provide information, which will be helpful to all age groups and interest. We’ve been working with numerous other organizations, Federal and State Agencies and local Tribes to provide an outreach resource. Some of these groups are;

The Chehalis Tribe, The Quilnalt Tribe, of US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Corps of Engineers, EPA, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Agriculture, Washington Department of Parks and Recreation, The Chehalis Basin Partnership, The Chehalis Fisheries Task Force, The Nature Conservancy, The Washington State Audubon Society, Black Hills Audubon Society, Capital Land Trust, South Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, People for Salmon, Chehalis River Council, Progressive Animal Welfare Society, Thurston County, Lewis County, Grays Harbor County, Mason County, City of Tenino, City of Centralia, City of Chehalis, Thurston County Department of Parks and Recreation, Thurston Conservation District, Lewis Conservation District, The Tenino School District, and the Elma School District

Professional

Forestry

There is an access road into Hidden Meadow that has collapsed in the tributary and created an earthen dam, which is blocking fish passage and sediment movement through out the Crawford Creek. The goal is to remove all of the debris that has created this dam/access road and open the channel so that all aquatic species can move freely through out this perennial tributary.

The dam has changed the stream channel significantly. Due to the lack of movement, all of the fine sediment, which typically moves through waterways, has settled at the base of the dam. Because of this, the stream bankful width has widened significantly, killing the surrounding riparian trees and depositing several feet of sediment, raising the streambed on the upstream side of the dam. This elevation difference now has to be taken in to consideration when implementing the project.

The access road has been decommissioned and completely removed from the channel. The steep banks have been pulled back to a 2% grade and covered with coconut matting to prevent additional sediment delivery until the vegetation regenerates.

We will give the channel a couple of years to flush its self and move sediment and debris as needed with winter high flows. Once the elevation grade has stabilized we can then re-asses the streambed migration and address any further issues.

There is a culvert under an old access road that is a fish passage issue. The culvert can be removed and replaced with a bridge. This would open the channel to its natural state. The bridge may be more expensive than another larger culvert but it would be well worth it to keep the sedimentation from upstream moving through the system. This access point needs to remain or be moved upstream of its current crossing point. Either way a bridge is needed to correct the problem.

An amazing new concrete bridge has been installed.  Elevating the crossing high above the high water mark during excessive winter flows, elevating all sedimentation issues for the creek and allow normal biological mobility for debris and aquatic wildlife to pass up and down stream of the Crawford Creek tributary.

This stream system has numerous problems. There was a natural landslide that delivered heavy sediment loads into the headwaters of this system. This sediment passed through a pond system and moved downstream to a lower field area where the elevation and grade did not let it move any further. This filled in the streambed causing the water to leave its bank and flow out of the channel. The entire system needs to be evaluated, assessed and then re-engineered to address the failing slopes in the headwaters further up stream.

The pond is located in the Cedar Creek system. The pond was a man made pond many years ago. The pond is fed by Cedar Creek, surrounding springs and surface water. The detainment banks of the pond were starting to fail years ago, so a fish ladder was created to help re-route the water and allow local salmonid's to use the pond for juvenile rearing. This would of worked out just fine other than the fish ladder was now beginning to fail. Due to construction errors – the base of the ladder began to sink and create large pockets for the water to escape. Through erosion, the ladder continued to fail and collapse completely isolating the pond from the ladder. Currently Cedar Creek is running subsurface through the pond and down to its outlet instead of running over the top of the fish ladder and down stream.

The entire pond needs to be re-addressed to decide if we should keep it, or completely dismantle it. Then with whatever decision, the new stream channel needs to be properly engineered to create a properly functioning stream channel, which can carry large loads of sedimentation and gravel’s downstream.

Mill Creek Bridge

The Mill Creek is a tributary of Scatter Creek, which runs through our property near the Mill Pond. This creek has three old concrete culverts under a railroad track, which runs parallel to our property. One of the three culverts is completely blocked by debris and sediment the other two are ½ blocked with debris and have a large 4’ foot plunge pool at the outfall of the culverts. This plunge pool is to tall for fish to pass through and this causes a significant barrier.

Heernett has been working with the Thurston County Park and Recreation Department for several years trying to address this situation. In 2003 Park and Rec, wrote and received funding through a grant with our support. Because of our cooperation and collaboration this project will move forward and the culverts will be replaced with a bridge.

A bridge will significantly improve mobility through out the stream system for all aquatic wildlife. They will replace the culverts while transforming the old railroad tracks into the “Yelm to Tenino Rails to Trails” program. Basically, transforming the railroad tracks into a flat paved walking/biking path for local citizens to use from City to City.

Additionally, Heernett and Parks and Rec also plan to incorporate signs along the path, which talk about native plants, the environmental importance of our native ecosystem and other historical facts.

This pond is located at the end of Cozy Valley and is part of the Scatter Creek headwater system. The pond had no real diversity within the pond and no riparian zone around it for shade and temperature control.

The plan is to have the pond assessed and engineered to have large pieces of wood and river rock placed in and around the pond to crate habitat for aquatic wildlife. Then plant several hundred native trees and shrubs around the pond to create a riparian zone for shade, temperature control, and wildlife habitat.

Historically and Currently both juvenile Coho and Cutthroat salmonids use this pond for rearing, as well as local beaver, Blue Heron, salamanders, frogs, Black tailed deer, Roosevelt Elk, and lots of migratory birds.

Completed in Spring of

2004

Cozy Valley Creek

Phase I

This creek runs through the entire valley floor through an old agricultural ditch. The problem is that like most agricultural ditches they are straight and narrow and efficient for removing water as quickly as possible. Well, that doesn't’t work so well for wildlife.

The plan for this 1500 linear foot section is to open the channel and place large pieces of wood and river rock to have the creek slow down and wind through the valley floor. This would create much better habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.

Once the instream construction is done during the summer months, we would plant hundreds of native trees and shrubs to create a riparian zone. Once the trees and shrubs are established it will create shade for temperature control and diversity for local wildlife.

Completed

in

September

of 2001

This 2’ ft culvert under a primary access road is very small, and undersized. Due to the inefficiency of the undersized culvert it has created a seasonal flow and fish passage issue. The water can not pass through the culvert properly and becomes blocked.

By replacing this culvert with a properly sized 10’ ft squash culvert, will help the stream system flow and function as it would naturally, as well as, allow fish and aquatic wildlife mobility throughout the entire Cozy Valley stream system.

Mill

Creek Culvert

The current 24-inch culvert is undersized for the stream bankful width. The Mill Creek stream system is currently and has historically been used by both adult and juvenile Coho and Cutthroat salmonids. The stream/riparian habitat is fairly good condition. Upgrading the culvert size to a 10-foot squash will enhance the mobility through out the stream system for all aquatic species as well as large debris.

A new 10 foot squash culvert has replaced the old failing culvert under our maintenance road.  This amazing culvert is so big you can walk through it!!  It is truly a marvel to see how this correction has allowed this premium salmonid habitat to rejuvenate it's self.  The mobility of debris, high flows, and aquatic wildlife has improved immensely.  We have witnessed adult salmon moving freely through this reach of Mill Creek that had been extremely difficult in years past.

Completed in

October

of 1998

There is a culvert under an old access road that is a fish passage issue. The culvert can be removed and open the channel to its natural state with little to no effort. This access point is no longer needed and the culvert in unnecessary.

Once the culvert has been removed, washed gravel’s can be placed in the streambed for future use as a crossing if needed.

Completed in

September

of 1998