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Conservation Science Initiative
Conservation Status Assessment of Fishes of the Bear Creek Watershed
As is true of many watersheds in the West, the Bear Creek Watershed is becoming increasingly urbanized. Some experts, noting that native fish tend to move out as people and the impacts of their expansion move in, have suggested that urban watersheds such as Bear Creek aren’t worth protecting, restoring and managing to support future salmon populations. Others see vibrant salmon populations in urban watersheds as an extremely valuable amenity benefiting not only a city’s economy but also its quality of life.
The National Center for Conservation Science & Policy believes Bear Creek is an important component of both aquatic and human communities and that it can and should be managed to fulfill both roles.
However, if Bear Creek is to contribute to the region’s urban and ecological health, and serve as a model of how an increasingly urbanized nation can live in a prosperous relationship with the natural world, it is important that the people of Bear Creek Valley care for a river that might again offer its waters to swimming, recreational fishing, and fish watching.
In 2005, with the support of the National Center, Aaron Maxwell began documenting the distribution and status of fish in southern Oregon’s Bear Creek Watershed as part of a graduate research program at Southern Oregon University. More complete knowledge of current fish status and habitat conditions are necessary precursors to restoration efforts, whether in an urban or wildland setting.
When complete, this National Center-supported graduate thesis will provide a baseline watershed-wide analysis of existing conditions that will be an invaluable guide for future watershed restoration efforts and provide a benchmark against which long-term progress can be measured.
