SALEM, Ore. — The Bureau of Land Management will temporarily close the lower half of Wildwood Recreation Site on August 11 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for habitat restoration work. The Old Mill Trail and upper group area of Wildwood Recreation Site will remain open, while the Wetland and Cascade Stream Watch trails will be unavailable.
The Freshwater Trust, one of BLM’s partners on the restoration work, will place large rocks in the area using a helicopter and will use an excavator to conduct maintenance on previously installed wood structures in the Salmon River and side channels.
During high-water events, instream logs and rocks help spread water flow, restoring natural stream complexity and proper river connections to side channels. The dispersed streamflow also improves fish habitat. “Salmon rely on pockets of slower-moving water, where juveniles can rest during high-flow events,” said Cory Sipher, District Fisheries Biologist. “We are grateful to our many partners who make these restoration efforts possible.”
The BLM Northwest Oregon District has worked with The Freshwater Trust, U.S. Forest Service, and Sandy Basin Partnership to restore about four miles of floodplain and instream habitat in the Salmon River since 2021. The Sandy Basin Partnership has been working in the basin for nearly 15 years.
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