River Restoration and Steelhead Redd Surveys

 Since the Bluebacks were established, we’ve conducted surveys of our home waters to scout the presence of anadromous fish returning to spawn.  In January 2021, our team was trained by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), to spot, flag, and record the presence of redds scooped in the riverbed by steelhead as they spawn.  In 2021, the Bluebacks performed 18 surveys that involved 10 volunteers and 154 hours of volunteer time.  We walked the Upper Luckiamute River on six weekends from January until May and observed 59 redds.  We’ve continued these surveys since.  The results can be used by the Luckiamute Watershed Council and ODFW to understand the effectiveness of the stream restoration undertaken by the watershed council.