For love of the land, the wildlife
More than 20 years of restoration work, with so many projects and so many partners involved. Here is just a glimpse.
When Cliff and Gay Hall bought the land now known as Luckiamute Meadows/Hall Wildlife Refuge, they had a big job on their hands. The sheep had just been removed after years of grazing not only in the pastures but along the banks of Maxfield Creek and the mile stretch along the Luckiamute River. The only trees were some large cottowoods, big leaf maples, and ash along the creek and river and a few patches of old oak savannas.
If they wanted to restore this land, they needed to create a partnership, so they brought in natural resource professionals to help them create a plan. And with that, the restoration projects began. Here is a list of some of partners involved:
Greenbelt Land Trust (which also provided the Kings Valley Community Trust for many photos to use in our video and this website)
Today, Luckiamute Meadows is a Certified Wildlife Habitat site by the National Wildlife Federation.
Early on, the Halls applied to be in the federal CREP program, which encourages landowners to protect riparian zones along waterways by keeping livestock out of those area and lowering the water temperature by planting native trees and shrubs to shade the streams.
In the CREP application, Cliff wrote "his objectives for the land were to "protect the riparian zones, provide the best use of the land, create a natural preserve . . . and to make a corner of the world a better place."
Their application was approved and the conservation plan got underway. You can read more about the CREP program in this article written by the staff of Benton Soil and Water Conservation District.
Luckiamute Meadows encompasses 155 acres, and 150 of those acres are protected by conservation easements held by the Green Belt Land Trust. Those conservation easements prevent those acres from ever being developed.
The management plan that Greenbelt Land Trust has developed for these protected acres is based on a vision for the property that emphasizes multiples uses of habitat conservation and restoration, agriculture, and education.
A primary goal of the plan and ongoing restoration activities is to identify needs and tasks for maintaining or expanding existing biological resources, such as the riparian zones of Maxfield Creek and the Luckiamute River, other rare species and significant habitats, and recommend steps for increasing native biodiversity.
One of the early restoration projects that Cliff and Gay took on was to restore three wetland ponds. They worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who brought in some big equipment to do some minor excavation so the vernal ponds could be improved.
The crew scraped away enough soil so there would be 12 to 18 inches of water in the ponds in the springtime and winter. That restoration has brought in large numbers of water fowl, and the wintering herd of elk are often seen by the ponds.
When the Halls first looked at the property, they found a grouping of three huge trees that were remnants of an old growth forested wetland--a black cottonwood, a big leaf maple, and an Oregon ash. In the wet season, water backs up into these forested wetlands, creating protected areas for young native fish species.
The restoration of Luckiamute Meadows has included planting of cottonwood, big leaf maple, and Oregon ash to make sure these species and the forested wetlands carry on.
Maxfield Creek is a year-round creek that originally flowed in multiple channels toward its confluence with the Luckiamute River. But in the early 1900s, the creek was channelized into a singe channel. Over time that channelization degraded the creek. During the wet Oregon winters, that single channel of water rushed through, washing away the streambed gravel down to bedrock.
So the Halls worked with Benton Soil and Water Conservation District, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to start restoring the creek back to its natural flow by placing large logs in the creek.
Now Maxfield Creek is returning to a more natural meadering flow and gravel has built up in large quantities in many spots along the creek.
And the numbers of native fish are increasing, including river lamprey, coho salmon, steelhead, lots of cutthroat trout, and other native species. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recently did an inventory of the creek and found no invasive fish species.
And students from the Philomath and Corvallis school districts have come out to Luckiamute Meadows, along with kids from the Kings Valley Charter School, to learn about creek restoration and fish habitat, and if they're lucky, see some fish.
Yep, that's right. The Halls and their many conservation partners have planted thousands of trees, shrubs, and flora. (And Cliff and Gay likely planted 30,000 all by themselves. In fact, Cliff planted so many trees, he got carpal tunnel and had to have surgery. But once recovered, he was back at it.)
When the Halls bought the property, the only trees were old cottonwoods, big leaf maple, and a few ash along the creek and river banks, and patches of old oak savannas. The sheep that had grazed on the land for decades had eaten everything else.
This photo gallery first shows an aerial view of part of Luckiamute Meaodw in 2005 and then 2018, and then takes you on a short walk to see just a sampling of what is growing today!
Cliff in the early days by the big black cottonwood tree, some day those cottonwood saplings he planted will be this tall.
Luckiamute Meadows/Hall Wildlife Refuge is a model for sustainable agriculture with productive lands bordered by healthy riparian zones along the creek and river.
The Halls have followed a management plan to increase soil fertility and provide grazing land for the wintering herd of elk that visit each year.
Along some of the fields, crews have planted hedgerows of pollinator plants and other native species that provide shelter and food for wildlife.
Luckiamute Meadows/Hall Wildlife Refuge is a welcoming place thanks to many trails and paths the Halls have created for recreation, exploration, and relaxation. The Philomath School District cross country team runs on the trails, "kids" of all ages takes walks to explore, and others take time to sit on the beautiful wood bench overlooking the Luckiamute River, listen to the birds and the flowing water, and calm their minds.
Breathe, run, relax, restore
And that's just part of the restoration story.
Thank you Cliff and Gay Hall and all of the partners who created this special place called Luckiamute Meadows/Hall Wildlife Refuge.
Read more about the restoration of Cliff and Gay's philanthropy and the restoration of Luckiamute Meadows in these articles:
https://bentonswcd.org/cliff-hall/
https://greenbeltlandtrust.org/conserving-land/luckiamute/