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Restoration Monitoring Report 2015 About Tobias Elementary – Butternut Creek Site Map

SOLVE began working on this site in the fall of 2013. This is a small quarter-acre site in the Beaverton Creek watershed located near Tobias Elementary School in Beaverton. This site is at the upstream end of a small tributary and wildlife corridor that connects with main stem Beaverton Creek near Baseline Rd. A CWS water quality swale runs through the site. Before work began Himalayan blackberry covered about half the site. Morning glory, English ivy, and Purple nightshade could also be found on the site along with several large non-native English hawthorn. SOLVE Green Team students with support from paid crews dug Himalayan blackberry roots, pulled ivy and morning glory and planted native plants. Volunteers: Tobias Elementary Green Team

Tobias Elementary – Beaverton Creek Trib.

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Site Goals

Establish a native plant riparian buffer, an area of dense native plants along a stream or river, to improve water quality, reduce competition from invasive species, provide stream cover, prevent erosion, and provide a habitat for native fish and wildlife.

Establish a native plant density of 2000 stems per acre within the restoration planting area to insure the establishment of a native plant community.

Maintain an average plant vigor, or health, of 4.2 or greater (see Table 2).

Reduce ground cover of invasive species to less than 20% within the restoration planting area to reduce competition with native plants.

Methods Random plots equaling 0.01 acres are sampled at each site to monitor the number of live native planted trees and shrubs and the invasive weed cover percentages in the defined restoration planting area. The surveyor also notes the native plant vigor, stress, or signs of plant damage due to herbivory- animal browse, or human impacts. For each site the average live stems per acre are calculated with the following formulas:

Average stems per plot = (# counted live planted plants) / (# plots sampled)

Average stems per acre = (Average live stems per plot)* (100)

Results are compared to established Project Performance Criteria standards (Table 1). SOLVE uses these Project Performance Criteria to adapt site management and focus resources to ensure all of our sites are successful.

Table 1. Project Performance Criteria

Project Status Stems Per Acre Average Vigor Invasive Species Ground Cover

SOLVE Actions

Flourishing More than 2000 More than 4.5 Less than 20% Continued Stewardship with Project Partners

Thriving Less than 2000 More than 1600

Less than 4.5 More than 4.0

More than 20% Less than 40%

Continued Planting and Invasive Species Management

Established Less than 1600 More than 1400

Less than 4.0 More than 3.5

More than 40% Less than 60%

Priority Management and On-going Assessment of Site Needs

Stressed Less than 1400 Less than 3.5 More than 60% Reassessment of Site Management

Table 2. Plant Vigor Values

Assigned Value Condition of Plant

5 Healthy

4 Healthy with some signs of stress or browsing by animals

3 Stressed, significantly browsed by animals or signs of infection

2 Highly Stressed with significant die-back

1 Unlikely to survive or already dead

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Monitoring Results 2015

Project Area:

0.22 acres

Date Monitored:

4/15/15

Area Planted:

0.10 acres

Stems Per Acre:

1216

Stream Length:

130 feet

Average Vigor:

4.80

Surveyor:

Kennett

Invasive Species Ground Cover:

2%

Project Status Established

Invasive Species Present:

Armenian Blackberry – trace, Reed Canary Grass – low, Morning Glory – trace.

Future Maintenance and Restoration Activities

Based on the Project Performance Criteria, as well as qualitative assessment, SOLVE has determined the following maintenance and restoration activities will take place in the following planting season.

Students, with support from paid crews, will do in-fill planting, and continue to remove invasive plants

SOLVE will do outreach to neighbors in the area in order to expand work along the riparian corridor

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Beaverton Creek Trib. Photo Point 1 May 2014 Taken from the corner of 211th and SW Brackenwood Lane, this photo shows some of the blackberry that was present at the site.

Beaverton Creek Trib. Photo Point 1 May 2015 Photo taken from the corner of 211thand SW Brackenwood Lane. The blackberry has been removed by the students of Tobias Elementary School.

Monitoring Photos

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Beaverton Creek Trib. Photo Point 2 May 2014 This photo was taken from the center of the site on the right bank of the stream, looking toward 211th.

Beaverton Creek Trib. Photo Point 2 May 2015 This photo taken from the center of the site on the right bank of the stream, looking toward 211th. Invasive blackberry has been removed, and planting begun in this area.

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Gales Creek Photo Point 2 April 2014 This photo was taken the summer before any work was done. Reed canary grass dominates the site.

Beaverton Creek Trib. Photo Point 3 May 2014 This photo taken from the center of the site on the right bank of the stream, looking downstream. Blackberry and morning glory dominated this area.

Beaverton Creek Trib. Photo Point 3 May 2015 This photo taken from the center of the site on the right bank of the stream, looking downstream. Blackberry and morning glory have been removed by students, and planting has begun in this area.