Middle Mattole
Mid-River Heliwood Project
Ground crew directs in-stream wood placement
Mid-River Heliwood or Heliwood 3 is the name MSG gives to this project which is located in the Middle Mattole area where Sholes and Fourmile Creeks connect to the Mattole River. The official title is the Corridor/Stansberry GGRF Large Woody Debris Project. The Save The Redwoods League (SRL) is the project lead under a grant from the CalFire. MSG has a subcontract with SRL to put the trees removed for fuel break creation to beneficial use in Sholes and Fourmile Creeks as fish habitat.
MSG was assisted in this effort by Columbia Helicopters Company which transported the trees from staging areas along the fuel break to about 90 locations in the two creeks. A total of approximately 350 trees were placed. Other project partners in the wood placement include Bob Stansberry, the landowner who provided the trees and on whose land the fuel break and a portion creeks are located, Native Ecosystems, Edwards Excavation and Restoration, and the US Bureau of Land Management.
A 10 minute overview of a complex, multi-faceted collaborative restoration project in the Middle Mattole River watershed.
The middle Mattole is remote, noted for few road access points and relatively large property ownership’s. Although summertime water temperatures are high, there are many large deep pools in this area, which are relatively well shaded by steep ridges on both sides.