Pine Hollow - Jackknife Creek Watershed Assessment

Identification Information

Citation

Originator: Sherman County Soil and Water Conservation District

Publish Date: December 2012

Online Link: None

BPA Project #:

Contact Information

Agency: Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board

Name: Troy Wirth

Job Position: GIS and Technology Specialist

Telephone: 541-986-0037

E-Mail Address: troy.wirth@state.or.us

Description

Abstract: The assessment area is located in north-central Oregon within the semi-arid Columbia Plateau and the Lower John Day River Basin. The assessment area occupies the southeastern portion of Sherman County and part of the northeastern portion of Wasco County, beginning southeast of the town of Grass Valley and including the towns of Kent and Shaniko. The watershed assessment area is sparsely populated, with an average population density of less than one person per square mile in Sherman County and two per square mile in Wasco County (U.S. Census Bureau 2010). All of the streams within the Pine Hollow – Jackknife Creek watershed assessment area drain into the Lower John Day River, and the river is the eastern border of the assessment area. The 8,000 square mile John Day Basin is the fourth largest basin in the state. The main stem of the John Day River originates in the Blue Mountains southeast of Prairie City, Oregon, and flows generally westward then northward for approximately 284 miles before discharging into the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 218, just east of the town of Rufus, Oregon.

Purpose: This watershed assessment characterizes the historical and current conditions of the Pine Hollow, Jackknife Creek, and Canyon Tributaries watersheds and their subwatersheds— collectively the Pine Hollow – Jackknife Creek watershed assessment area. These watersheds, all of which drain into the Lower John Day River, provide important resources, including habitat for steelhead trout and other fish species. The assessment’s emphasis is on streams, associated riparian areas, and the effects of watershed characteristics and management practices on these areas. Uplands are described with a focus on wildlife habitat and the effects of upland areas on streams through key processes such as water runoff and erosion. There are two main purposes of this watershed assessment. The first is to guide habitat restoration and watershed conservation practices because the watersheds have been affected by land management and other human activities. To this end, the watershed assessment characterizes historical conditions and land-use changes, inventories existing resources, and evaluates the current status of the watersheds’ habitats, water quality, and fish and wildlife populations. The second purpose of this document is to identify the cumulative effects of current and historical management practices and conservation measures within the watershed assessment area. The assessment will aid in identifying opportunities for future restoration and conservation actions and identify key information gaps.

Time Period of Content:

Geographic Extent: The assessment area is composed of the Pine Hollow, Jackknife Creek, and Canyon Tributaries in the southeastern portion of Sherman County and part of northeastern Wasco County, Oregon

Status: Final

Use Constraints:

Format: pdf

Data Quality Information

Lineage-Source:

Data Information

No data information was supplied.

Entity and Attribute Information

Attributes Description: pdf Watershed Assessment

Is a physical copy maintained for reference at Headquarters? Unknown