Home Page for the Sumpter Valley Restoration Project

The Powder River begins in the City of Sumpter at the convergence of McCully Fork and Cracker Creek. Sumpter was established as a mining town dating back to the discovery of gold on Cracker Creek in 1862. Since then a variety of mining and ore processing occurred within the watershed. Dredge mining was initiated in 1913 and continued until 1953 using three different dredges. Dredge piles now cover much of the Powder River floodplain. Although these dredge piles represent an important economic legacy, their presence has interfered with the functioning of the river system. The Powder River is an important natural resource which can be rejuvenated for fish habitat, wildlife habitat, and provide an attraction for the growing tourism industry spurred by the Sumpter Valley Railway.

The lower Powder River floodplain from Highway 7 south to the backwaters of Phillips Lake is primarily owned by Baker County. The County and its partners are interested in restoring the stream channel and floodplain in this approximate 5 miles of stream length. Restoration would have the potential benefit of increasing the local trout fisheries, assist in recovery of bull trout, and expand wetland habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife species. Remeandering a stream within these unstable dredge piles also presents challenges related to the unstable materials, downstream sediments, and possible water quality impacts.

Fortunately, there are a numerous examples of stream restoration in dredged areas and standard methods for planning the design and restoration techniques. Baker County and partners have already initiated the design process by requesting funds from OWEB for low elevation mapping of the project site (known as LiDAR). These maps will provide the foundation for developing a stream restoration plan.