Camas Watersheds

Project Completed: April 2022

Boulder & Jones Creek

Since 2012, we have collaborated with the City of Camas to develop and execute a 40-year forest management plan to preserve and safeguard the City’s Jones and Boulder Creeks watershed. We worked with City staff to develop a proactive strategy to achieve the City’s primary goals. These goals include protecting water resources, maintaining water quality, establishing a permanent access network via well-designed forest roads for operational purposes, enhancing forest health, and generating regular income by selling wood products. In October 2022, the Nakia Creek fire affected the area, and our commitment to the City extended beyond routine activities. We seamlessly integrated 500 acres of post-fire salvage sales into our ongoing effort to assist the community. This was necessary as burned trees only hold merchantable value for a limited time. We also have service contracts in place to reforest this salvaged area.

AKS Forestry hard hat and gear with forest scene in background

FORESTRY

Our forestry team has played a vital role in developing and implementing a sustainable Forest Management Plan (FMP). This comprehensive plan addresses forest health, water quality, wildlife habitat, fire hazard reduction, silviculture prescriptions, erosion control, income from timber harvests, regulatory compliance, and asset protection.  

Leading the FMP implementation, we have guided the City through eight harvest entries, including three salvage sales to recover after the Nakia Creek fire. Each has involved preparing a timber sale contract, determining field layout, marking wildlife reserve trees, identifying root rot areas, performing a timber cruise, and acquiring permits. We also managed the marketing and contract administration for all timber harvesting and road construction activities.  

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Unexpected Challenges – Nakia Creek Fire
After the Nakia Creek fire devastated the region, affecting approximately 800 acres of the watershed, our team conducted an initial fire damage assessment for the City. Recognizing the situation's urgency, we seamlessly integrated post-fire salvage sales into our ongoing efforts, successfully setting up, permitting, and selling three salvage sales through public auction. Timber harvesting and road construction were completed on two salvage sales in the summer/fall of 2023, with the third scheduled for completion in the summer of 2024. We are working toward mitigating the impacts of the fire and aiding in the recovery of the affected area.

FOREST ENGINEERING/RURAL ROADS

As a crucial component of the FMP implementation, we have strategically designed approximately 11 miles of new road infrastructure to support the plan’s overall objectives. These roads contain multiple live stream crossings with four permanent AOP structure installations. 

Aquatic Organism Passages (AOP) 

As part of our FMP implementation, we have successfully designed, permitted, and administered the construction of four aquatic organism passage (AOP) structures, contributing to the plan’s holistic approach to environmental conservation and management. The open-bottom, steel, multiplate, single-radius arch culvert with concrete footings was designed to meet Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) Stream Simulation design requirements. This design selection aimed to replicate the natural stream channel closely. A long stream profile was used to help determine channel slope and scour potential. Footing elevations were set below the projected stream channel regrading to prevent structure failure. A unit-discharge bed design was utilized to specify the gradation of the new stream bank material.

WATER RESOURCES

Turbidity Monitoring 

Our foresters also oversaw the implementation of a water quality monitoring program for the City’s watershed, both during and after forest management activities. Collaborating closely with the City, we collectively established monitoring goals, installed a high-quality Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) monitoring system, and consistently conducted checks while reporting our findings. In addition to our ongoing commitment, during the 2017 two-year harvest cycle, we continued to provide vigilant monitoring to ensure the ongoing health of the watershed.

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