For nearly 50 years, natural gravel movement on the upper Rogue River was blocked by Jess Dam, limiting spawning areas for wild Chinook and winter steelhead. This past July, a groundbreaking effort by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), brought gravel back to the river for the first time - kicking off a project that shows how innovative restoration work can make an immediate difference for native fish.
“This is the beginning of a long-term gravel restoration project on the upper Rogue River,"
said Pete Samarin, Assistant District Biologist with ODFW. "After almost 50 years of gravel transport being blocked by Jess Dam, ODFW and the USACE consider putting this gravel into the river an immediate success and hope to build off lessons learned for future placement. It is expected that the gravel placed will provide immediate spawning habitat, but some may be washed downstream. Future gravel placement will be guided by a “gravel placement tool”, developed by USGS Cooperative Research Unit with the assistance of ODFW and other partners. This “tool” will assist with selecting sites to place gravel to be transported downstream in order to re-supply downstream reaches or to stay in place to provide immediate spawning gravel for wild spring Chinook and winter steelhead.”
At Native Fish Society, we are looking forward to visiting the gravel site this fall to observe how the habitat is being used and which species are benefiting. We’d also like to applaud ODFW’s efforts to restore spawning habitat for native fish. This is a vital step in supporting healthy, resilient river ecosystems.
This project marks an important milestone in restoring the Rogue River and reviving the wild fish that depend on it. We are excited to follow its progress and share updates along the way - stay tuned!
