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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Burns, Oregon » Range and Meadow Forage Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #164109
Title: GREAT BASIN REDBAND TROUT HABITAT IMPROVEMENT USING FELLED WESTERN JUNIPER

Author
item MATNEY, CASEY - OREGON STATE UNIV
item STRINGHAM, TAMZEN - OREGON STATE UNIV
item Boyd, Chad
item GRESSWELL, ROBERT - OREGON STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Society for Range Management
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/2003
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Efforts to manage stream temperature have focused on maintenance or improvement of streamside vegetation through riparian fencing and vegetation planting projects. This project investigated the use of felled western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) as a fencing alternative for the improvement of streamside vegetation and the amelioration of summer stream water temperature on a Great Basin redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii) inhabited stream. Study objectives were to 1) determine if Western juniper cover moderates summer stream temperatures 2) determine if Western juniper placed over streamside willow shoots is an effective protective structure for reducing ungulate herbivory, and 3) describe the movement and distribution of native redband trout in relation to placement of Western juniper over the stream channel. The stream study reach was located on the headwaters of a Steens Mountain stream, approximately 100 km south of Burns, Oregon. Stream study reach was divided into 4 contiguous blocks of 1000 ft in length. Each block was assigned two (500 ft length) treatments: (1) felled western juniper trees placed over the stream channel, and (2) open. Redband trout movement, willow shrub measurements, and hourly water temperatures were collected pre-treatment during summer 2002 and post-treatment during summer 2003. Amount of felled juniper placed over the stream channel was documented by low-level helium blimp aerial photography. Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT tags) and swim-through PIT tag antennae gates tracked the movement of fish between treatment locations. Project results and discussion will be presented.

Technical Abstract: Efforts to manage stream temperature have focused on maintenance or improvement of streamside vegetation through riparian fencing and vegetation planting projects. This project investigated the use of felled western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) as a fencing alternative for the improvement of streamside vegetation and the amelioration of summer stream water temperature on a Great Basin redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii) inhabited stream. Study objectives were to 1) determine if Western juniper cover moderates summer stream temperatures 2) determine if Western juniper placed over streamside willow shoots is an effective protective structure for reducing ungulate herbivory, and 3) describe the movement and distribution of native redband trout in relation to placement of Western juniper over the stream channel. The stream study reach was located on the headwaters of a Steens Mountain stream, approximately 100 km south of Burns, Oregon. Stream study reach was divided into 4 contiguous blocks of 1000 ft in length. Each block was assigned two (500 ft length) treatments: (1) felled western juniper trees placed over the stream channel, and (2) open. Redband trout movement, willow shrub measurements, and hourly water temperatures were collected pre-treatment during summer 2002 and post-treatment during summer 2003. Amount of felled juniper placed over the stream channel was documented by low-level helium blimp aerial photography. Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT tags) and swim-through PIT tag antennae gates tracked the movement of fish between treatment locations. Project results and discussion will be presented.