Grande Ronde River
Status: YELLOW ALERT
Length: 174 miles
Basin area: approximately 3,700 square miles
The Grande Ronde has some serious water quality problems, but it is not known to be polluted by toxics.
photo by Thomas O'Keefe |
The Grande Ronde River, in northeastern Oregon, drains parts of the Blue Mountains and the Wallowas. Major streams flowing into the Grande Ronde are Catherine and Joseph creeks and the Wallowa and Wenaha rivers. The river flows through the agricultural Grande Ronde Valley in its middle course and through a series of scenic canyons in its lower course. The last approximately 38 miles of the river are in Washington, where it joins the Snake River. On a map the river traces the pattern of a large circle, hence the name Grande Ronde. 44 miles of this river are designated as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system. The Grande Ronde Basin is sparsely populated, and agriculture, livestock production, and forestry play significant roles in the local economy. Until the mid-1800s, the Grande Ronde Basin was inhabited solely by the Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla and Nez Perce tribes, and the tribes retain treaty rights to harvesting salmon and other resources on their former lands. The Grande Ronde is host to threatened Chinook salmon, steelhead and bull trout.
A Closer Look
The relatively low elevation (7,700 ft.) of the Blue
Mountains can result in early snowmelt, which leads to low flows in the Grande Ronde
River in late summer.
These low flows significantly impact water quality. Elevated water temperatures
are a significant problem, and improved streamside vegetation along tributary
streams could dramatically reduce the river's temperature, reduce erosion,
improve water quality, and increase wildlife habitat. A Total Maximum Daily
Load (TMDL) plan to reduce water temperatures has been developed. Improperly
managed livestock grazing, cumulative effects of timber harvest and road
building, water withdrawals for irrigation, and agricultural activities impact
water quality. The Grande Ronde has had problems with fecal coliform in the
past, but it currently meets the standard.
Restoration on a Working Ranch
Water quality and fish habitat were the key drivers of a large, multi-year project to restore wetlands and stream channels in Longley Meadows, along the upper Grande Ronde River. Historically the wet meadow held and slowly released the cold, clear waters of Bear Creek, providing habitat for summer steelhead and spring Chinook salmon. Since early settlement, land management activities such as converting the meandering creek to a straightened ditch, constructing roads and railroads, and replacing native vegetation with livestock forage had altered the meadow, disconnected it from the river, and increased water temperatures. It no longer provided viable habitat for salmon and steelhead.
The restoration project, initiated in 1999 and completed in 2003, involved a diverse group of partners, including Alta Cunha Ranches (the landowners), the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Grande Ronde Model Watershed and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The project partners established conservation easements to permanently protect more than five miles of creeks and the river, and built a fence to keep livestock out. They reconstructed a meandering channel for Bear Creek, planted more than 50,000 native plants, and placed large woody debris to improve fish habitat. Two new wells, ten water troughs and 9,800 feet of pipe provide water for livestock on the upland portion of the site, eliminating the need for the cattle to access the creek and improving the utility of the ranch. In 2006, Eastern Oregon University professor Karen Antell began involving her biology students in monitoring improvements on the site. As vegetation grows and water quality improves over time, they should begin to see changes in the aquatic insect species composition. “This is a perfect project because students are learning how to follow specific sampling protocols and collect field data while providing a service to the watershed and the landowners,” said Antell.
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