2026 South Fork Crooked River Planting

About the place

Oregon’s high desert is home to a diversity of Indigenous people, including the Northern Paiute, Shoshone, Bannock, Wasco, Warm Springs, Yahooskin, Cayuse, Walla Walla and Umatilla peoples organized within several Tribes. These include the Burns Paiute Tribe, Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, the Klamath Tribes, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and others.

The South Fork Crooked River is a major tributary of Central Oregon’s Crooked River. The Crooked River and its tributaries were once a major spawning ground for migratory fish such as spring Chinook salmon, steelhead trout and Pacific lamprey. Non-migratory fish such as redband trout and bull trout were also abundant. While dams blocked migratory fish passage to the South Fork, redband trout still survive here. However, heavy agricultural use and the eradication of beavers left this essential habitat unhealthy and limits the ability of fish populations to recover. Our efforts on the South Fork Crooked River aim to improve ecosystem health and support beavers, whose dam building activities will restore native fish habitat and provide many benefits for the entire watershed.

About the stewardship work

This project involves planting trees and shrubs on the banks of the South Fork Crooked River. The work each day will involve walking about 1.5 miles to our work site where volunteers will place plant cuttings, or stakes, into pre-dug holes and fill the holes in with dirt. These stakes will then sprout roots and, when mature, the resulting trees and shrubs will be a critical source of food and building materials for beavers. We will also build temporary fences around the newly planted stakes to protect them from hungry beavers and other wildlife for the first five years after planting.

Trip timeline

• Thursday, April 23, 4-6 p.m.: Meet at the campsite to set up camp and have dinner. After dinner, we’ll have an orientation about the upcoming work.
• Friday April 24 and Saturday, April 25, 8 a.m.: Travel to the work site and complete planned work. Volunteers should plan to be away from camp all day.
• Friday April 24 and Saturday, April 25, 4 p.m.: Return to camp to rest, cook and explore. One evening we will also host a question and answer session about our restoration strategy.
• Sunday, April 26, 8 am: No work is scheduled. After breakfast, we will break camp and head home.

Camp

We will be car-camping at a primitive site located along the South Fork Crooked River with no running water or toilet facilities. The access road is an unmaintained dirt road, but a high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicle is not required. Low-clearance vehicles, driven carefully, will suffice.

Difficulty

Level 4: Strenuous

The physical demands of this trip are strenuous. Access to the work area requires a minimum hike of a half-mile over rough, slippery ground while carrying daypacks and hand tools. However, there will be ample opportunity for breaks and sharing of work throughout the day.

Participant responsibilities

Participants are responsible for providing their own transportation to the trip, as well as camping gear, food and water/beverages. Participants should check the weather in advance and bring sufficient attire and layers for a full day outdoors. Sturdy off-trail ankle-high boots are required for this trip. We also recommend bringing your own work gloves to provide a comfortable fit, but it is not required.

Gear provided

ONDA will provide all of the training, tools and supplies required for the work. We will also provide some group camping equipment such as pop-up shade/rain tents, extra tables and chairs, and a latrine. Safety equipment such as work gloves and eye protection will be available, and we’ll have extra water and snacks if needed.

Registration

An ONDA registration application and medical form are required for this trip.

Join Waitlist

Approximately two weeks after submitting your registration application, you will receive an email outlining the trips where you are a confirmed participant. We will also share when trips are full and if you’ve been placed on the waitlist.

Six weeks before the start of the trip, the trip leader will send out an email reconfirming participation. Based on responses, any open spaces will be filled with people from the waitlist.

Three weeks before the trip start date, registered and confirmed participants will receive driving instructions, carpooling options, maps, and additional information in an email sent by the trip leader.

Contact the trip leader with questions.