2023 Lake County Low-Tech Riverscape Restoration Workshop

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This workshop will be held July 18-19, 2023. It will be a mix of field and classroom instruction.

Overview

This workshop was developed by NRCS Oregon, Pheasants Forever, Blue Forest Conservation, Lake County Umbrella Watershed Council, Intermountain West Joint Venture, and Anabranch Solutions and is intended to provide local landowners and the conservation community with the training, support, and guidance needed to implement process based restoration at landscape scales. There is funding available for landowners and managers to aid in these project and Pheasants Forever and Blue Forest are working to pilot a new system to further support the communities goals of sustainable agriculture and landscape resiliency.

Workshop Description

The workshop with introduce low-tech process-based approaches for restoring streams and their associated riparian and meadow ares (riverscapes) to benefit grass production, water reliability, sustainable working lands, fish and wildlife habitat. Participants will learn principles guiding low-tech process-based restoration and become familiar with simple, hand-built tools, including Beaver Dam Analogues (BDAs) and Post-Assisted Log Structures (PALS), intended to mimic and promote specific ecosystem processes. Participants will gain basic skills in the planning, design, and implementation phases of project development. Course content is supported by a published Design Manual. Instructio will be a mix of lectures, discussions, hands-on exercises at the desktop and in the field.

Audience

The target audience for this workshop are local conservation professionals, agency staff, and landowners and managers.

Agenda

Classroom Instruction and Field/Construction - Day 1

  • Day 1: Introduction to Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration and Underlying Science & Case Studies for Low-Tech - Discussion with local landowners and new form of support for landowners and managers - 8 AM to 2 PM

Day 1 will be held at the Lake County Administrative Office: 3 Center St, Lakeview, OR 97630

Field/Construction - Day 2 (Location TBD)

  • Day 2 - Implementing Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration (field all-day) - 7:30 AM to 3 PM

We will meet at the Best Western Skyline Motor Lodge at 7:30am to take advantage of lower morning temperatures for construction: 414 N G St, Lakeview, OR 97630

Course Materials

Videos & Handouts

Creating Miracles in the Desert: Restoring Dixie Creek
Changing a Landscape to a Lifescape: The Humboldt Ranch
Holding Back the Snowpack
Idaho Rancher Jay Wilde restores beaver to Birch Creek in a big way!
Landowner 1-pager (coming soon!)

Workshop Reading

Instruction Team

Workshop

Stephen N. Bennett

Ecologist, Adjunct Professor

Joseph Wheaton

Professor of Riverscapes

Virtual Instruction Team (virtual resources)

Scott Shahveridan

Fluvial Geomorphologist

Logistics

Registration

Registration is free. Contact michael@blueforest.org for more information.

Registration is Open

Lodging

BOOK BEFORE July 8, 2023 to secure group rate!

We have secured a group rate at the Best Western.

RATE: Room rates are net NON commissionable, quoted exclusive of applicable taxes and fees and MUST BE BOOKED BY CALLING the property direct at, (541) 947-2194. This is a Group Rate. In order to receive the Group Rate, a person reserving a room must specify the Group Name of “Pheasants Forever”, while making their reservation. Quoted rates are available through the Cutoff Date, and are still available for the public to book, so please have guests book rooms ASAP.

RESERVATIONS (Individual call-in): Each guest must call to reserve and guarantee their own room reservations. Each guest will be responsible for the payment of his or her own room.

Field Gear

This is a hands-on workshop. For the field portions, we will be hiking and working on real construction projects. Your safety is our top priority, but you are the most important person in ensuring your safety and comfort. So bring common sense. Our workshop is in the Fall in the mountains. You should be prepared for anything from sunny skies and sunburn, to snow and hypothermia (yes we’ve already had our first snow-storms, and yes we will work in the snow). We will be hiking through and doing work in small, wadeable streams. We strongly recommend a pair of chest waders and wading boots, in case the creek is flowing during the construction day. It is also possible we will be building structures in a hot, dry creek with isolated pools, so come prepared for a variety of weather. You also should bring whatever outdoor clothing and gear to keep yourself comfortable. Layers, coats, gloves, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a dry change of clothes for afterwards are all a must. For Day 2, no open-toed shoes will be allowed. Where work clothing suitable for a construction site.

We will provide you with basic personal protective equipment (PPEs like work gloves, eye protection, hard hats, ear protection).

If you have any allergies or medical conditions that we should be aware of, please notify your instructor.

Meals, Snacks

Meals are provided with your registration to help us run the workshop more efficiently, as follows:

  • Day 1 (Classroom)
    • Morning coffee and snacks provided
  • Day 2 (Field Construction Day)
    • No breakfast or coffee provided (come fueled up and caffinated)
    • Bag lunches, snacks and beverages provided in field. Please bring your own water bottle.

We will make sure that for snacks and meals there are some gluten-free options, but those with other dietary restrictions should make other arrangements.

Emergency Preparedness

More information coming soon!

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