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Large Wood in KRIS:  Information Regarding the Noyo River 

Stillwater Sciences studied large wood in streams for Louisiana Pacific as part of the company's Sustained Yield Plan and postulated that removal of large wood from Mendocino Coastal tributaries was a potential significant limiting factor for coho salmon. "One of the working hypotheses concerning coho salmon ecology and management in Mendocino County streams is that large woody debris (LWD), and the rearing habitat that it provides, may currently be the most important factor limiting coho populations. The well-documented role of LWD in coho salmon ecology, combined with the observation that the recent decline of coho salmon in California appears to be somewhat coincident with large-scale LWD removal programs led quite naturally to this hypothesis." Holman and Evans (1964) documented the removal of large quantities of large wood from Noyo River stream channels as part of Stream Clearance projects. Removal of wood was to improve fish passage and allow sediment from prior logging to be flushed from the stream. 

Removal of large wood from stream channels, beginning in the late 1950s, added to the legacy of simplified stream channels in forested watersheds of the north coast, including the Noyo River. The actual amounts of wood removed from streams is not well documented, and the effects of these activities has only recently begun to be carefully studied. Mendocino Redwood Company reports that over four million board feet of wood were removed from Noyo River streams, not including the South Fork sub-basin. Stillwater Sciences (1997) documents that bed scouring of 10-20 ft occurred in some stream segments following large wood removal. (See Stream Clearance background page)

The Mendocino Redwood Company has included in its GIS sites where large wood  has been removed from streams and estimated recruitment potential.  MRC shared these coverages with IFR for the KRIS Noyo Map project, from which the image at left was taken.

Kiethley (1999) studied the Noyo Basin for the California Department of Forestry to gauge its restoration potential. He used a combination of sediment supply and large wood availability as an index of restoration potential. The image at left is from a CDF  Internet website which displays maps from this study.   ArcIMS allows the  layers to be viewed without software. Images are also in Keithley's (1999) report.

CDF has mapped the history of large wood removal from Jackson Demonstration State Forest. This image, from the JDSF view in the KRIS Noyo Map project, shows that large wood removal began in the 1950's in the Noyo Basin and continued through the 1990s.

In recent years, The California Department of Fish and Game began a cooperative effort with CDF and JDSF to replace large wood in streams to increase fish habitat diversity. The success of this project is being measured both with regard to changes in stream habitat and also suitability of treated reaches for for salmonids (Collins, 1999).

Collins, B.1999. Parlin Creek Large Woody Debris Placement Project. Jackson Demonstration State Forest Newsletter. Volume 51 (Spring/Summer). CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Mendocino Ranger District. 

Holman, G. and W. Evans. 1964. Noyo River Stream Clearance Projects. California Department of Fish and Game. 12 p. 

Keithley, C. 1999. Evaluating Stream and Watershed Conditions in Northern California. Prepared for the California Department of Forestry, Fire and Resource Assessment Program. Sacramento, CA. 17 pp. 

Stillwater Sciences. 1997. A review of coho salmon life history to assess potentially limiting factors and the implications of historical removal of large woody debris in coastal Mendocino County. Prepared by Stillwater Sciences, Berkeley CA for Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, Wildlife and Fisheries Science Group, Forest Resources & Fiber Procurement Division. May 1997. 55 pp