Basin Stats:

  • Location: Mount Hood, Clackamas County

  • Major Contributing Streams: Little Zig Zag River, Still Creek, Camp Creek, Henry Creek, Bruin Creek, Hackett Creek

    • River Length: 12 miles

Threats:

  • Threats from Hatcheries.

    • The Cedar Creek Hatchery program

  • Threats from habitat degradation.

    • There are numerous road crossings that allow road runoff/effluent to enter the stream. Many of the homes along the Zig Zag and its tributaries are serviced by septic systems, which have the potential to fail during storms. Numerous septic systems in the area were damaged during storms in 2014 and 2015.

  • Threats from hydropower and fish passage barriers

    • Marmot and Little Sandy Dams are gone! However, numerous culverts exist that are inadequate for fish passage. Projects are in the works to restore fish passage on some tributaries, including Henry Creek.

  • Threats from over harvest

    • The Sandy basin has seen its fair share of poaching in years past, as well as views wild fish recovery as a nuisance to the ‘right’ to harvest.

Accomplishments:

  • Decommissioning Marmot Dam and Little Sandy Dam, Cedar Creek Hatchery litigation, Still Creek habitat restoration

Conservation Partners within the Basin:

Western Rivers Conservancy, Freshwater Trust, Sandy Basin Watershed Council



Zigzag River Updates

River Steward Program Newsletter Winter 2018

We are starting to see rains show up earlier in southern Oregon than I can remember in the past couple of years, and I hope that this is the beginning to a long wet winter here in the Northwest. ...

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Join Us for a Guaranteed Good Time for a Great Cause! We are excited to welcome you on Saturday, April 13th, 2024 for THE BIGGEST PARTY FOR WILD FISH IN THE UNIVERSE! When: Saturday, April 13th, 2024 | 5pm - 9pm | Where: The Loft at 8th Avenue - Portland, OR | What: A banquet and auction supporting the revival of wild, native fish, free-flowing rivers, and thriving local communities.