Pacific Power partners for habitat restoration
Pacific Power customers choosing to support renewable energy through the award-winning Blue Sky Habitat program are directly helping restore Oregon native fish habitat in the Rogue, Sandy and Santiam watersheds with work managed by The Freshwater Trust.
Projects in these watersheds received more than $105,000 from the Blue Sky habitat program this year. Work is expected to be completed by the end of 2013 and will help improve the streams, providing long-term ecosystem benefits.
“These enhancements add to The Freshwater Trust’s already stellar track record of selecting important stream habitat projects and completing the work in a timely and cost-effective way,” said Pat Egan, Pacific Power’s vice president of customer and community affairs. “Also, the tools that The Freshwater Trust uses to track and manage these projects ensure that they have direct and strong impacts on the stream ecosystems targeted for restoration.”
Since 2002, Pacific Power’s Blue Sky Habitat customers have helped support 69 habitat improvements throughout Oregon, enhancing the equivalent of more than 130 river miles.
In 2011, funds targeted four watersheds statewide. The restoration work outlined for these watersheds is expected to be completed this year – benefiting spring Chinook salmon, redband and steelhead trout, Pacific lamprey, cutthroat and steelhead trout through creek channel relocation, wetland and riparian restoration, culvert replacements, wood placement and more.
“Building on the 2011 success with the Blue Sky habitat program, we look forward to helping local restoration professionals implement these new projects in an effective, efficient way,” said Joe Whitworth, president of The Freshwater Trust. “With more than 30,000 stream miles unable to fully support aquatic life, this kind of investment from Pacific Power’s Blue Sky Habitat customers is critical to improving our waterways – because healthy rivers and streams mean healthy living for us all.”
The ongoing partnership between Pacific Power and The Freshwater Trust continues a popular habitat enhancement option that Oregon Pacific Power residential and small non-residential customers have had available since 2002. By choosing Blue Sky Habitat, customers also donate $2.50 per month to directly help improve the habitat of native fish, including salmon, in the state.
More than 4,500 Pacific Power customers in Oregon are currently supporting this program each month, in 2011 giving more than $135,000 to habitat improvement.
About the projects funded in 2012
Location: Lower Calapooia River, Crabtree Creek & Snake-DeFord Creek
Watershed: Santiam River, Linn County
Description: A joint effort between three watershed councils to restore approximately 21 acres of vegetation across three watersheds. Includes the removal of invasive blackberry bushes. Native fish benefitted: steelhead trout, spring Chinook salmon.
Location: Salmon River & Still Creek
Watershed: Sandy River, Clackamas County
Description: Reactivate four side channels in the Salmon River and one in Still Creek, restoring more than 6,700 feet of side channel habitat. Nine large wood structures using 262 pieces of wood also will be built to improve fish habitat along the restored channels. Native fish benefitted: Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead trout.
Location: Thompson Creek
Watershed: Rogue River, Jackson County
Description: Restore approximately 1.8 contiguous miles of streamside vegetation totaling 22 acres along Thompson Creek, a tributary of the Applegate River. Remove invasive species. Native fish benefitted: coho salmon, steelhead trout.
Location: Jones Creek
Watershed: Rogue River, Josephine County
Description: Restore fish passage by removing the Tokay Canal Dam. Install an inverted siphon to Jones Creek to convey irrigation water, reshaping of the stream banks and planting native vegetation. Native fish benefitted: coho salmon, steelhead trout.
Blue Sky Habitat Details
Pacific Power customers who choose to participate in the Blue Sky Habitat option pay $0.012 more per kilowatt-hour above Basic Service rates to support 100 percent renewable energy that is equal to their monthly usage, plus a $2.50 flat monthly rate to support habitat projects in the state. The typical Oregon household using 950 kilowatt-hours monthly pays $13.90 more each month to participate in this voluntary option. The total additional amount paid each month for Blue Sky will fluctuate depending on monthly usage, but the $2.50 donation to promote healthy fish habitat remains the same.
For a list of projects benefiting from Blue Sky Habitat customers, visit www.pacificpower.net/blueskyhabitat.
