The Siskiyou Resource Conservation District (SRCD) is initiating the Shackleford Confluence Habitat Improvement Project Phase 1 to address critical habitat restoration needs within the Shackleford Creek watershed, a vital tributary to the Scott River in Quartz Valley, Siskiyou County, California. This project focuses on enhancing fish passage and improving critical spawning and rearing habitats for endangered coho salmon, chinook salmon and steelhead trout. The targeted 1.25-mile section of Shackleford Creek, located at its confluence with the Scott River, has been significantly impacted by historical land use practices, altered hydrology, and increasing climate-related stressors. Large boulders, elevated water temperatures, and reduced habitat complexity, such as a lack of large woody debris and deep pools, create barriers to fish passage and reduce habitat suitability. The confluence area loses surface flow during low-flow periods, further impeding access to upstream habitats essential for salmonid reproduction.
Building on past restoration activities within the Shackleford-Mill Creek watershed, including bioengineering, riparian exclusion fencing, and large-woody-debris installations, SRCD aims to restore connectivity, increase habitat complexity, and address these ecological challenges. This project will also continue to inform conservation efforts by expanding on habitat assessments from the 2003-2004 Scott River coho Spawning Assessment and sediment studies conducted in 2010. A previous SRCD proposal in 2009 targeted similar activities in the Shackleford Creek confluence area, and Phase 1 of this initiative will further develop these goals, ensuring the recovery and sustainability of salmonid species in this crucial watershed.