The Deer Creek Watershed Assessment process has been followed by a group of local landowners. The organization of this document was constructed as a combination of the informational needs of the Deer Creek landowners and the framework of the Oregon Watershed Assessment Manual. The group has met twelve times to review the data going into the document, followed by three meetings to review the assessment and develop the action plan. Members of the Deer Creek landowner group represented sheep ranches, cattle ranches, industry within Deer Creek, the City of Roseburg, private industrial timber companies, city residents, rural residents, the UBWC, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Douglas Soil and Water Conservation District (DSWCD), and the Douglas Small Woodlands Association.
The purpose of this Watershed Assessment is to:
1. Document the history and current status of water quality and stream conditions for fish habitat; and
2. Understand the processes that affect these conditions; and
3. Discover enhancement opportunities to improve water quality and fish habitat.
In the event that the Watershed Assessment identifies restoration opportunities that can be done voluntarily by landowners, an Action Plan is developed that lists both general areas of concern and specific projects.
The purpose of an Action Plan is to:
1. Provide a reference list of activities and locations thereof designed to improve water quality and fish habitat in the watershed; and
2. Recommend future data collection needs; and
3. Determine opportunities for objective-based landowner training and education programs; and
4. Identify resources to support voluntary or grant-funded actions.
The Deer Creek Watershed consists of the eastern portion of the Lower South Umpqua River fifth-field watershed, and is 43,090 acres. The eastern portion of the City of Roseburg is within the Deer Creek Watershed, as is the Dixonville population center.