A number of RNPP Partners are working on important ecological restoration projects in the Rogue Basin, and have shared information with us about their process and progress, including the species of native seeds used, and methods they have used for site preparation and ongoing care and monitoring. This information is shared with the intention of providing useful information to those wanting to start their own ecological restoration project in the Rogue Basin.
This table will be updated with more information as these ecological restoration projects progress, and with new restoration projects that RNPP partners undertake.
Location & Habitats Present
Key Restoration Purposes
Plant Species Used (seed)
Site Preparation Methods
Seeding Method
Monitoring Methods
Notes
Location: Ashland, private property, valley floor Habitat: Pasture & riparian
3.3 acres
Hazard fuels reduction, wildlife habitat enhancement, invasives mitigation, riparian restoration, restoring burn area
*Achyrachaena mollis *Clarkia purpurea ssp. viminea *Poa secunda *Pseudoroegneria spicata
Removal of flammable brush along driveway and near structures, and removal of invasive species in pasture and riparian zones using tools and physical labor.
Hand seeding
Regular visual surveys
Achyrachaena mollis: Mid-november 2018 broadcast, have not seen any survival. Pseudoroegneria spicata: Mid-november 2018 broadcast in field, some germination and survival. Poa secunda: Broadcast fall last 2018, germinated fairly well, appreciated water during the 2019 summer. Clarkia purpurea ssp. viminea: Mid-november broadcast, good germination, not certain if it persisted to going to seed.
Location: Sams Valley (Gold Hill), private property, oak woodland & mixed conifer forest. Habitat: Riparian, mixed conifer forest & oak woodland 20 acres
Small diameter tree removal, invasives mitigation, hazard fuels reduction, wildlife habitat enhancement
*Achillea millefolium *Achnatherum lemmonii *Achyrachaena mollis *Agoseris grandiflora *Bromus laevipes *Castilleja tenuis *Clarkia purpurea ssp. purpurea *Collinsia grandiflora *Eriophyllum lanatum *Escholzia caespitosa *Festuca californica *Festuca roemeri *Grindelia nana *Lasthenia california *Madia elegans ssp. densifolia *Penstemon anguineus *Pseudoroegneria spicata *Rupertia physodes *Wyethia angustifolia
Removal of invasives by hand pulling and weed wrench, removing small diameter trees, limbing up remaining trees, chipping woody residue to remain in forest, planting native vegetation cover (seeds and shrubs).
Hand seeding. Fescues with rake and foot trod in some areas. Hand-mixes of seeds boot-stomped in before hand-made cages put around woody native shrubs. Some broadcasting, Seeding in winters 2018-19 and 2019-20. Several species will be seeded in winter 2020-21.
Regular visual surveys, at least weekly during new native shrub watering season, May- October 2019. Photographing wildflowers blooming when spotted.
Most of 5 bunchgrass species held back and seeded in winter 2019-2020. Flower species and grasses all compete with Scotch broom seedbank that continues, as well as Himalayan blackberry.
Location: Little Butte Creek, Eagle Point. City of Eagle Point, Medford Water Comission & Bureau of Land Management partnership Habitat: Riparian 2 acres
Flood plain restoration, wildlife habitat enhancement, invasives mitigation, riparian restoration, improved water quality, improved native plant biodiversity
*Achnatherum lemmonii *Achillea millefolium *Asclepias fascicularis *Clarkia purpurea ssp. viminea *Eriophyllum lanatum *Festuca californica *Festuca roemeri
Recontouring of bank slopes, log jams buried in banks, blackberry and reed canary grass removal, regrading of previously blocked creek channel, and planting and seeding of native plants.
Location: Rogue River property of Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Habitat: Riparian
Restoring burned area
*Elymus glaucus *Pseudoroegneria spicata
Leaves removed to expose bare earth before seeding
Seed broadcast and raked into earth. Hay applied to cover seeded bare earth.
Plot development and monitoring
A 50 x 100 foot plot was established on 11-9-2018. Leaves were removed to expose the bare soil and the seeds were raked into the ground. The plot was treated with 6 lbs per acre (.70 lbs) of Elymus glaucus. On 1/3 of the short side of each plot (16.5 x 100 feet), an additional 6 lbs per acre (.23 lbs) was applied. On ½ of the long side of the plot (50 x 50 feet), hay was applied to cover the bare ground. Didn’t get final pictures but it sounds like the seed didn’t take very well. A 10 ft x 10 ft test plot of Pseudoroegneria spicata was created nearby on 11-9-2018. Leaves were raked to remove the bare soil, seeds applied, raked in, and the soil was left bare. No luck here either.
Private Property assisted by ODFW
Restoring burned area
*Elymus glaucus *Melica hartfordii
Seed to be broadcast Fall 2019
Location: Denman Wildlife Area (ODFW) Habitat: Riparian & meadow 7 acres
Restoring burned area
*Achillea millifolium *Bromus californicus *Elymus glaucus *Lotus crassicaulis *Melica hartfordii *Psoralea simplex
No-till seed drill
Visual surveys
Only 4-5 passes were made on the outer edges of the meadow with the no-till seed drill, because application rate was too high starting off. No seed was applied in the center of the meadow, or in areas with high density of blackberry. Some seed did well (BRCA) but there’s still a lot of non-native competition. Didn’t see any LOCRA.
Location: Rogue River Preserve (Southern Oregon Land Conservancy). Habitat: Riparian and oak woodlands / savanna 352 acres
Invasives mitigation and restoring disturbed areas
*Achnatherum lemmonii *Elymus glaucus *Festuca californica
Disturb soil before seeding
Spread seed on disturbed soil in winter after weed removal
Visual surveys
The Elymus has not come up at the Japanese knotweed site, but other bunchgrasses are coming up along the roadside.
Location: Sampson Creek Preserve (Selberg Institute). Habitat: Upland meadows, oak woodlands 4800 acres
Pollinator habitat enhancement, invasives mitigation
Purchased seed: *Achillea millefolium *Achnatherum lemmonii *Agoseris grandiflora *Asclepias fasicularis *Asclepias speciosa *Clarkia purpurea *Danthonia californica *Elymus glaucus *Festuca roemeri *Lomatium californicum *Lupinus microcarpus *Madia elegans Seed Collected on site: *Achillea millefolium *Amesikia meniesii *Asclepias fasicularis *Brodiea elegans *Bromus carinatus *Bromus leavipes *Calochortus tolmiei *Cirsium ciliolatum *Clarkia purpurea *Clarkia gracilis *Cynoglossum grande *Dichelostemma congestum *Elymus glaucus *Epilobium brachycarpum *Ericameria nauseosa *Eriophyllum lanatum *Festuca californica *Festuca roemeri *Frittilaria affinis *Lomatium californicum *Lomatium nudicaule *Lomatium utriculatum *Lomatium macrocarpum *Lomatium Triternatum *Lupinus microcarpus *Madia elegans *Madia gracilis *Sanicula crassicaulis *Stipa lemmonii *Toxicoscordion venenosus *Triteleia hendersonii *Wyethia angustifolia
Weed whacking in area where planting happened, prescribed burn in area where seed was broadcast
Broadcast after prescribed burn
Test site within the prescribed burn area is being monitored for seed germination success
Location: Bear Creek near Pine Street in Central Point (Rogue Valley Council of Governments) Habitat: Riparian 20 acres
Restoring burned area and improving native plant biodiversity
*Achillea millefolium *Amsinckia menziesii *Asclepias fascicularis *Bromus carinatus *Bromus laevipes *Bromus laevipes *Clarkia purpurea *Elymus glaucus *Eriophyllum lanatum *Festuca roemeri *Grindelia nana
Spot spraying blackberry with herbicide
Broadcast seeding, using straw / mulch to cover
Monthly observation monitoring to check native plant and invasive growth
Location: Kane Creek / Stage Rd Culvert Replacement (The Freshwater Trust) Habitat: Riparian
Restoring disturbed area, improved water quality, improved wildlife habitat, invasives mitigation
*Achillea millefolium *Eriophyllum lanatum *Festuca roemeri
Treatment of invasives with herbicide
Broadcast seeding
Photo point, qualitative, and quantitative monitoring will be conducted on the project site.
Location: Hwy 99 Applegate River Bridge (The Freshwater Trust) Habitat: Riparian
Restoring disturbed area, improved water quality, improved wildlife habitat, invasives mitigation
*Achillea millefolium *Eriophyllum lanatum *Festuca idahoensis ssp. roemeri *Festuca californica
Treatment of invasives with herbicide
Broadcast seeding
Photo point, qualitative, and quantitative monitoring will be conducted on the project site.
Location: Whetstone Savana Preserve Vernal Pool Ash Swale (The Freshwater Trust) Habitat: Oak savanna, prairie and vernal pools
Restoring disturbed area, improved water quality, improved wildlife habitat, invasives mitigation
Manual, mechanical and chemical forms of weed suppression (with extra care being used in use of chemicals)
The bare ground between plantings will be seeded with a site-appropriate native species mix.
In person site assessments and qualitative monitoring will be used to adaptively manage the site
Location: Eagle Point solar farm (Understory Consulting) Habitat: Pasture / prairie 45 acres
Improved native plant biodiversity, improved wildlife habitat, invasives mitigation
*Achillea millefolium *Agoseris grandiflora *Amsinckia menziesii *Asclepias fascicularis *Camassia quamash *Carex densa *Carex pachystachya *Carex tumulicola *Clarkia purpurea *Collinsia grandiflora *Cynoglossum grande *Daucus pusillus *Eriophyllum lanatum *Festuca roemeri *Gillia capitata *Grindelia nana *Hemizonia fitchii *Helianthus bolanderi *Juncus tenuis *Lomatium utriculatum *Lupinus adsurgens *Lupinus bicolor *Lupinus microcarpus *Madia elegans *Navarretia intertextata *Plagiobothrys figuratus *Ranunculus austrooreganus *Wyethia angustifolia
Herbicide, mowing, box scraping
Drill seeding, broadcast seeding
Quadrats arranged on a grid throughout the property
After one year, invasive grass cover decreased by about 99%. However, that was mostly replaced by invasive annual forbs along with some of the native species that we seeded. Native cover only increased by about 3%. Follow-up treatments will include pre-emergent herbicide to try and limit the germination of annual weeds and kill the seed bank. Additional native seeding, including more grasses will occur after the weed seed bank is acceptable exhausted.
Location: Medford foothills (Pacific Slope Consulting) Habitat: Oak woodlands, oak savanna, mixed woodlands 70 acres
Hazard fuels reduction, wildlife habitat enhancement, small diameter tree removal, improved native plant biodiversity
Small pile burning
Hand seeding
Growing season species tally for 1 - 2 years following seeding
Location: Medford Water Commission Vernal Pools Preserve (Terra Science Inc) Habitat: Meadow / prairie, vernal pools, wetland 17 acres
Invasives mitigation, improved water quality, improved native plant biodiversity, restoring disturbed area
*Achnatherum lemmonii *Achyrachaena mollis *Amsinckia menziesii *Clarkia purpurea ssp. purpurea *Danthonia californica *Poa secunda *Pseudoroegneria spicata
Prescribed burn (every five years). Shallow discing of uplands prior to broadcast.
Hand seeding
Revisit annual vegetation plots; square meter vegetation analysis during peak bloom periods.
Upland mound data assessment compared pre-burn baseline vegetation communities to post fire and seed introduction. Analysis documents a 91.9% reduction of invasive Taeniatherum caput medusa with a 188.4% increase of native species atop mound landforms.
Location: Rogue Valley Manor, Medford Habitat: Meadow / prairie 1 acre
Post construction restoration, improve native plant biodiversity
*Achnatherum lemmonii *Achillea millefolium *Achyrachaena mollis *Amsinckia menziesii *Clarkia purpurea *Collinsia grandiflora *Daucus pusillus *Eriophyllum lanatum *Festuca roemeri *Koeleria macrantha *Lupinus microcarpus
Equipment grading
Broadcast seeding in the Fall
Visual surveys
Location: US Army Corp of Engineers site in Trail, OR Habitat: Pasture, oak savanna, riparian, mixed woodlands, recent burn, oak woodlands 300 acres
Hazard fules reduction, restoring burned area, invasives mitigation, small diameter tree removal, improved native plant biodiversity
Varies, minimal site prep due to lack of funds / staffing resources
Hand seeding
Visual surveys
Location: Whetstone Savanna Preserve (The Nature Conservancy) Habitat: Oak woodlands, oak savanna, meadow / prairie, wetland 220 acres
Restoring burned area, invasives mitigation, improved native plant biodiversity
Prescribed fire and harrowing
Hand seeding
Quadrat monitoring and photo points. At a minimum, assess plant guilds such as native annual forbs, non-native annual grasses.
Location: Sterling Creek, private property. Habitat: Mixed woodlands, oak woodlands 11 acres
Small diameter tree removal, restoring disturbed areas, improving native plant biodiversity, invasives mitigation, improving wildlife habitat
*Achyrachaena mollis *Bromus laevipes *Festuca californica *Festuca roemeri *Festuca subulata *Koeleria cristata *Melica harfordii *Pseudognaphalium canescens *Stipa lemmonii + a range of native herb seeds collected on site
Small pile burning, mechanical removal of invasives
Raking ground before and after hand seeding, including directly into remains of burn pile sites
Visual surveys and photos
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