Wallowa-Whitman National Forest announces temporary road closures in July
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, June 25th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – (Press release from the Wallowa Whitman National Forest) The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is planning temporary road closures on sections of Forest Service Road 2100 and Forest Service Road 6210 beginning July 6. Public safety closures are scheduled while replacing the Meadow Creek and the Camp Creek culverts on the La Grande Ranger District, with project work expected to last through August 2026.
The temporary closure of Forest Service Road 2100 will be located at Mile Post 11.42 near Meadow and Waucup Creeks, west of Bally Mountain (Sec. 24, T3S, R33E).
Meadow Creek’s culvert on FSR 2100 is the last of four culverts on the Wallowa-Whitman NF to be replaced by Great American Outdoor Act funds. It was listed as one of the top ten culverts in OR and WA needing to be replaced to meet fish and aquatic organism passage standards. Replacing the undersized arch with a new Aquatic Organism Passage design will reconnect 18.1 miles of stream habitat for Snake River Steelhead (listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act), as well as Redband Trout, and other native aquatic species.
The temporary closure of Forest Service Road 6210 will be just past its junction with Forest Service Road 6100 (Sec. 6, T2S, R41E), about 17 miles southeast of Imbler, Ore.
There is no full-size vehicle access from the opposite direction of Forest Service Road 6210 and any roads/trails beyond this closure point will be inaccessible to through-traffic during this closure period.
The culvert replacement on Camp Creek is in partnership with Grande Ronde Model Watershed and Bonneville Power Administration. Replacing this undersized, perched culvert will reconnect 2.15 miles of stream habitat for Snake River Steelhead, Bull Trout (both listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act), Redband Trout, and other native aquatic species.
Aquatic organism passage structures are a key part of the Forest Service’s conservation efforts and offer multiple benefits. These structures maintain natural stream continuity, allowing aquatic and terrestrial species to move through crossings as they would in an undisturbed channel. Because the width of the stream channel at the crossing is designed to match natural conditions, floodwater, sediment and woody debris pass through more effectively than they do in traditional, narrower culverts.
Please keep both road closures in mind when planning travel to the area this summer. Forest Service vehicles, construction vehicles, and excavation machinery are expected to be entering and leaving the work areas. As always, please drive safely if you are visiting the forest.
For more information about road closures, these projects and others, contact our La Grande District office at (541) 962-8500.
