In addition to increased recreational use, low stream flows, dams, and other issues facing these watersheds, forest fires of unprecedented size have further stressed these ecosystems. Decades of fire suppression and logging have produced dense second growth forests that are vulnerable to severe fire, insects, and disease. Severe fires cause widespread tree mortality, but also directly affect fisheries and recreational assets – sediment enters fish habitat, denuded riparian zones exacerbate temperature concerns, and displaced recreationalists concentrated use in non-burned areas, adding to management challenges.

With our local partners, we worked with agricultural interests to restore a healthy portion of Whychus Creek’s historic flows, while maintaining a vibrant agricultural industry in the region. We pulled invasive weeds and planted natives. We thinned the surrounding forests, reducing the threat of severe wildfire and enhancing native habitat for birds and other wildlife. We rebuilt trails and improved access for all Americans through the construction of an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant trail and overlook.

Perhaps as important as the restoration accomplishments are the expanded partnerships and relationships we helped foster in this region. By working with non-traditional partners like the Three Creeks Brewery, the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, Cycle Oregon, talented fiber artists, and plein air painters, we helped lay a foundation of community stewards who will remain engaged and committed to the Deschutes National Forest, Whychus Creek, and the Metolius River.

In bringing the Whychus Creek and Metolius River ecosystems to a healthy state, the NFF has benefited central Oregon’s wildlife, local communities, and the thousands of people who visit each year in search of nature’s inspiration.