Boise Creek, Natural Beaver Dam
Natural beaver dam on Boise Creek on December 13, 2010. Unfortunately, this beaver dam was blown out in the winter of 2010/2011.
Boise Creek, BDA
MKWC Fisheries led by Jimmy Peterson, installed a human made beaver dam to replace the one that was blown out in the winter of 2010/2011. A series of "beaver dam analogues" (human made beaver dam) connects Boise Creek to over a 1/2 acre of off-channel ponds that provide valuable summer and winter rearing habitat for salmonids. The BDAs are maintained and repaired yearly by MKWC and the Karuk Tribe. In 2021, MKWC and the Karuk Tribe installed three more BDA's at two sites, Stanshaw and Sandy Bar Creeks.
Seiad Creek, Natural Beaver Dam
Natural beaver dam on Seiad Creek on October 5, 2012. The beaver dams on lower Seiad Creek in the fall of 2012 were inspirational. They deepened the water level of the creek, making extraordinary fish habitat.
Horse Creek, Beaver Built on Wood Structure Installed with an Excavator
MKWC Fisheries installed 12 large wood structures into Horse Creek Valley in the fall of 2019. By the next summer beaver were adding to one of the wood structures, as shown in this photo taken on August 25, 2020. The combination of wood structure and beaver dam created a deep, cold, and low-velocity habitat for salmonids.
Mitzi and Charles Pounding Stakes at Camp Creek
MKWC Fisheries personnel creating a beaver dam analogue on Camp Creek on January 6, 2011. We want to mimic beavers and the great work they do for our aquatic environment.
Sandy Bar Creek, BDA
MKWC Fisheries and partners installed beaver dam analogues into Sandy Bar Creek in the summer of 2021. This photo taken on June 9, 2021, shows the human made beaver dam being built.
Horse Creek, Natural Beaver Dam
Natural beaver dam on Horse Creek on October 21, 2014. This beaver dam not only created a very deep pool for salmonids to rear in, but also spread the creek water out, decreasing velocities and creating a diverse environment for all aquatic life.
BDA Map, Boise Creek
Site map of Boise Creek before BDA installation.
Off-Channel Pond, Horse Creek
US Fish and Wildlife Service, landowner, and MKWC Fisheries personnel doing fence maintenance around an off-channel pond on April 3, 2019.
Lawrence Pond, Horse Creek
An off-channel pond being constructed on October 4, 2017. This ≈ 7,500 square feet pond was connected to Horse Creek in the fall of 2017. It provides low velocity winter rearing habitat for salmonids.
Alexander Pond, Seiad Creek
The gold standard for all of MKWC's off-channel ponds. The "Alexander Pond" was the result of MKWC's Fisheries Co-Directors Charles Wickman and Will Harling's hard work and vision, and was excavated in the fall of 2010. The MKWC used the Karuk Tribe's fisheries studies that showed the importance of off-channel habitat for Coho Salmon, to build a program that created these much needed rearing sites. Photo taken on April 29, 2011.
Off-Channel Pond, China Creek
An off-channel alcove with contractor crew on September 26, 2019. This off-channel alcove is connected to China Creek.
Off-Channel Pond, China Creek
MKWC technicians at China Creek Pond in Spring of 2020 conducting water quality monitoring.
Off-Channel Pond, Horse Creek
MKWC's Fisheries and Plants personnel happy to have completed mulching the banks of the newly excavated pond connected to Horse Creek. This pond has been utilized every winter since it was created by at least 500 salmonids. The salmon are seeking refuge from the adjacent creek, which has high velocities during winter and spring.
Off-Channel Pond Construction
An off-channel pond being constructed on October 10, 2017.
Off-Channel Pond Newly Excavated
An off-channel pond recently excavated on October 31, 2018.
Wood Loading Project Horse Creek
50 large logs with root wads were added to a 1/2 mile section of Horse Creek Valley in the fall of 2019. This photo taken on October 14, 2019 is looking downstream from the most upstream wood structure. 12 wood structures were added to the creek, with the intent of creating spawning habitat as well as increasing the quality of summer and winter rearing habitat for salmonids.
Wood Loading Project Aikens Creek
Aikens Creek wood structure on February 13, 2021. The wood structures installed in the summer of 2020 backed up high winter water for over a hundred feet pushing water up on the creek's floodplain and creating nice low velocity winter rearing habitat for salmonids.
Aikens Creek Wood Loading Project Team
MKWC Fisheries partnered with the Karuk Tribe, the Yurok Tribe, the US Forest Service, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to install 24 wood structures into Aikens Creek in the summer of 2020. Pictured here is the implementation crew on one of those installed wood structures on August 13, 2020.
Horse Creek Helicopter Wood Loading Project Crew
Ground and flight crews for the Horse Creek Helicopter Wood Loading Project on October 20, 2020.
Helicopter Wood Loading Horse Creek: Before
Horse Creek on March 18, 2020, before a wood structure was added to this part of the creek.
Helicopter Wood Loading Horse Creek: After
Horse Creek on December 9, 2020, after a wood structure was added to this part of the creek. Wood structures create habitat and spawning material for fish. These beautiful before and after photos were taken by MKWC's Michael Hentz.
Horse Creek Helicopter Wood Loading Photo Monitoring
MKWC's Michael Hentz on June 2, 2021, photo monitoring the 35 wood structures added to 1.4 miles of Horse Creek. One of the 35 wood structures is in the photo's background.
Coho Surveys
Fisheries Program Co-Director Charles Wickman scanning a Coho Salmon carcass for pit tags.
Fall Chinook Surveys, Salmon River
Male Chinook on a redd in the Salmon River.
Spring Chinook Surveys, Salmon River
Surveying for Spring Chinook in the Salmon River.
Spawners
Coho salmon spawning.
Ukonom Fish Passage
Volunteers and MKWC Fisheries doing manual fish passage work on Ukonom Creek.
Red Cap Creek, Before
Photo taken before fish passage enhancement on Red Cap Creek.
Red Cap Creek, After
MKWC youth crew improves fish passage and enhances thermal refugia at the mouth of Red Cap Creek.
Juvenile Salmon
Juvenile salmonids at the mouth of a cold water tributary. Juvenile salmonids take refuge here from the warmer temperatures of the mainstem Klamath.
Tom Martin Creek, Before
Tom Martin Creek before adding brush bundles to the alcove connected to the creek.
Tom Martin Creek, After
Tom Martin Creek after adding brush bundles to the alcove connected to the creek. These bundles of brush provide cover for salmonids, increasing their chance of survival.