Revegetation at Bonnie Lure State Recreation Area
The Clackamas River Basin Council is working on a project at Bonnie Lure State Recreation Area to improve native fish and wildlife habitat.
Our goals at Bonnie Lure State Recreation area are to eradicate invasive plant species and revegetate with diverse native plant communities for healthy fish and wildlife habitat. Noxious weeds are a problem along our waterways. Among the many detrimiental impacts to rivers and streams, noxious weeds promote erosion and prevent native species from establishing. In 2018, CRBC began noxious weed eradication throughout the site.
At Bonnie Lure State Recreation Area, CRBC eradiacted the following noxious weeds:
- Rubus armeniacus (Himalayan blackberry)
- Brachypodium sylvaticum (false brome),
- Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass)
- Clematis vitalba (evergreen clematis)
- Hedera helix (English ivy),
- Cirsium arvens (Canada thistle)
- Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle)
- Cytisus scoparius (Scotch broom)
- Elymus repens (quackgrass)
Our native plant species protect the stream banks from erosion by slowing floodwater velocities and providing a protective barrier from the flow, especially during high water events. As the riparian plantings mature, they will provide fine and eventually coarse woody debris to the river which helps create complex floodplain habitat.
CRBC began planting at Bonnie Lure State Recreation Area in 2019. These native plantings add leaves and insects to Eagle Creek which provide food for aquatic species and organic material for the river.
With a diverse planting plan of trees and shrubs, there is improved horizontal and vertical structure of the forest which provide increased shade helping limit thermal impacts and effects of climate change.
Lastly, the installed native trees, shrubs, and cuttings protect the river from excess pollutants and nutrient runoff such as nitrogen and phosphorus by establishing deep-rooted buffers.
At Bonnie Lure State Recreation Area, CRBC has planted the following native plants which are visible to park visitors:
- Alnus rubra (Red Alder)
- Acer macrophyllum (Bogleaf Maple)
- Thuja plicata (Wester Red Decar)
- Symphoricarpos albus (Common Snowberry)
- Physocarpus capitatus (Pacific Ninebark)
- Spiraea douglasii (Hardhack)
- Rosa palustris (Swamp Rose)
- Salix sitenchsis (Sitka Willow)
- Cornus sericea (Red Osier Dogwood)
- Abies grandis (Grand Fir)
- Pseudotsuga mensiesii (Douglas Fir)
- Holodiscus discolor (Oceansprary)
- Mahonia aquifolium (Tall Oregon Grape)
- Oemleria cerasiformis (Indian Plum)
See the project change with time:
As you can see from the above images, weeds includind reed canary grass decreased with time, while water, large wood, native vegetation, and overall ecological complexity increased.
The project is funded by the Oregon Water Enhancement Board. We thank Oregon State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service and all of our partnering residents for their support through this project!
The Clackamas River Basin Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission of fostering partnerships for clean water and to improve fish and wildlife habitat and the quality of life for those who live, work and recreate in the watershed.
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