Bob Bumstead drives a willow branch deep into the mushy riverbed. Water flowing over submerged logs elicits a soft gargle, while the soppy quicksand swallows his boots up to his ankles. He beats the stake with a rubber mallet until only a couple of inches peek out of the sediment.

On a crisp Sunday morning, Bumstead, a retired teacher and a member of the McKenzie Flyfishers, along with 23 volunteers, met at Quartz Creek for a “Willow Tree Planting Party,” part of a larger effort to restore the McKenzie River.

Since 2015, collaborations between the Eugene Water & Electric Board, the McKenzie Watershed Council and the McKenzie River Trust have focused on restoration to improve water quality, wildfire resiliency and fish and wildlife habitat.

In September, the most recent phase of this project was completed on Quartz Creek. A 1.8-mile stretch of the upper McKenzie looks like a magnitude 5 hurricane struck. Using excavators and dredges, Haley Construction Co., hired by EWEB, dumped dirt and gravel and placed about 6,000 logs. Now, only native plants like willow remain to be added, which help restore and support local animal species, like the beaver, Chinook salmon, Pacific lamprey and bull trout.

In some areas of the McKenzie, the river is 15 feet lower than it used to be, according to Vanessa Taylor, landscape designer for the McKenzie Watershed Council.

“That’s a pretty dramatic change,” Taylor said. “It changes the whole ecosystem in the area.”

A century of change

The McKenzie River, one of the largest tributaries of the Willamette River, zigzags across 90 miles in the Willamette Valley. Shaped by volcanic activity, it carved roaring waterfalls, vibrant blue pools and choppy rapids. These geological features are vital for the organisms living in the biosphere.

However, a century of damming and channelization disconnected the McKenzie River from the ecosystems that sustain it, lowering water levels and weakening salmon runs.

From 1910 to 1969, five dams were built along the river for flood control and hydroelectric power. Although these dams reduce flooding risk for communities downstream, they damage natural habitats.

Chris Daughters has fished on the McKenzie River for over 40 years. A third-generation angler, he and his wife own and operate the Caddis Fly Angling Shop, running guided trips along the river. Although he hasn’t seen a significant transformation of the river in his lifetime, he says changes are clear across generations.

“My grandfather lived here and fished here,” he said. “They had salmon up to 20 inches long that were on their way out to the sea, and those fish came back way, way bigger.”

These days, those salmon are much smaller, with juveniles reaching an average size of 6 inches, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Dams prevent salmon from returning to their natural spawning ground. Furthermore, the slowed pace of the reservoirs makes it easier for predators to target larger fish. Over time, dams exert selective pressures, favoring smaller fish.

To reinstitute healthier fish populations, among other efforts, organizations along the McKenzie have implemented large-scale renaturalization efforts on the river.

After six years of planning, the first major project commenced in 2021 and was completed two years later at Finn Rock Reach, between Nimrod and Blue River. The multi-year effort reshaped the land by carving side channels, replanting riparian vegetation and reestablishing aquatic habitats.

Since then, a more ambitious project has been completed at Quartz Creek. About 50 miles upstream, Quartz Creek branches off the mainstem. Slower currents, cooler water and riparian shade make the smaller stream a vital spawning ground for native fish.

At first glance, it looks like a flood flattened Quartz Creek, but each rock and log was strategically mapped using software before installation.

“Fish, and salmon in particular, have evolved to thrive off ecological chaos,” says Susan Fricke, a water resources supervisor at EWEB. Fricke, a fish biologist, has worked on similar river restorations along the West Coast. “We used to think native fish preferred a stable environment with stationary debris, kind of like a fish tank.”

During earlier restoration efforts, rocks and trees were secured with cables, Fricke said. Now, logs and rocks move naturally with the ebb and flow of the river. To catch any loose debris, they engineer log jams that work much like a beaver dam, catching larger logs while allowing the river to keep its current.

The added complexity and movement of sediment provide fish with ideal spawning grounds, shade, nutrients and protection from predators.

Although a project like this doesn’t remove the man-made dams, Fricke said it compensates for a lack of habitat by reconnecting side channels, repairing riparian habitat and adding woody debris.

With the construction phase of the restoration completed in September, Fricke and EWEB, along with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, monitor fish nesting and runs.

Although it’s too early to see the long-term impacts of the project, cameras at the site capture how the river is responding to floods.

On a rainy day, Adam Spencer, EWEB’s communications coordinator, flips between a photo from the summer and fall.

“It doesn’t look like it’s changed the flow from late August to today,” he said, pointing at his phone. “This is telling me that there are all those side channels and pockets that are soaking and spreading out the excess water.”

Before the project, Quartz Creek was only 30 feet wide and funneled under a single bridge. Now, in some areas, the tributary spans up to 2,000 feet, allowing for any excess water to spread into side channels, according to McKenzie Watershed Council documents.

Additionally, Fricke points to improvements seen at similar restoration projects. For example, at the Finn Rock Reach site, red salmon nesting is roughly seven times higher compared to two years earlier, according to an EWEB report.

The collaborative effort between multiple groups is what is driving this project, Fricke said.

“It’s like a Venn diagram between organizations,” she said. “You find a nice big area in the middle where we all overlap interests. When you get to spread it over like five, six different organizations and entities, you’re going to have a lot of people gaining experience with these projects and learn how to do it right.”

Fricke also believes the collaboration is making them more successful with grants. “It’s a great story to tell,” she said. In total, the groups have received around $9.5 million in funding.

While the restoration effort is making real strides in renaturalizing the McKenzie River, the project isn’t without its hurdles.

For one, residents along the river have to put up with long-term road and river closures. Furthermore, the added debris can be a hazard. “We’re a river community,” Fricke said. “We want to make sure that people can raft and recreate safely.”

Many long-standing residents along the river have grown used to the river as it is. With the project completely revamping the way the river looks, some residents aren’t happy with the new design.

“I think there’s some kind of knee-jerk reaction,” said Spencer, who manages EWEB’s Facebook discussions.

“My heart wrenches so much at the sudden and massive devastation of it all,” one post reads. “I can’t stop crying at the difference when I drive up and down QC [Quartz Creek].”

Despite the challenges, the Quartz Creek restoration is a vital step toward repairing decades of ecological damage along the McKenzie. EWEB, along with its partners, is exploring future projects, such as one farther downstream at Gate Creek. They’ve already begun planning, according to Fricke.

Bumstead takes a deep breath, readjusts his footing and reaches for another willow branch. For local fishermen like Bumstead, these projects further their connection with the river. “It’s great to see the growth you’ve helped create,” said Bumstead. “It makes you feel like you belong on the river.”

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