Deerhorn Restoration Project to begin on Malheur NF
By Logan Bagett on Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
JOHN DAY & PRAIRIE CITY – (Press Release from the Malheur National Forest)
The Blue Mountain Ranger District will begin implementation on the Deerhorn Creek restoration project starting early July through August 15, 2025. This project is located along Highway 20, 5 miles from Bates State Park at the Deerhorn Campground.
The Deerhorn Creek restoration project is intended to restore habitat for Endangered Species Act threatened Mid-Columbia steelhead and benefit other important aquatic species including juvenile Chinook, lamprey, and freshwater mussels within Deerhorn Creek. Work will include the placement of whole trees for fish habitat, beaver dam analog structures, planting of native vegetation, and the enhancement of wetlands, side channels, and floodplains. Trees used for this project will be thinned from the adjacent uplands on Deerhorn Creek to improve forest health and reduce fuel potential in this riparian corridor.
Heavy equipment will be operating within the project area and Deerhorn Campground. Campsite #1, within Deerhorn Campground will be closed and unavailable to the public for safety and to allow for staging of heavy equipment. The remaining four campsites at Deerhorn Campground will remain open for the duration of this project.
For more information on the Malheur National Forest , please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/malheur
