Work to restore the natural streamflow of Paulina Creek in the Deschutes National Forest south of Bend is underway and will continue through early February. The work also includes improvements to the popular Peter Skene Ogden Trail.

The sections of Paulina Creek to be restored are located near Ogden Group Camp, according to a news release from the Deschutes National Forest.

Paulina Creek, which flows west from Paulina Lake in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, has been historically altered through channeling from rock mining operations. The goal of the project is to remove channels from the creek to allow for a more natural flow that creates wetland and riparian habitat and encourages biodiversity.

“The rock pit was decommissioned decades ago, and it left the area very unnatural, with many invasive plants established and somewhat of an eyesore,” said project manager Marlo Fisher, a botanist with the Deschutes National Forest.

Plans for the project include strategic planting of native vegetation along the creek. Work will also be done to realign and widen the existing floodplain. Parts of the Peter Skene Ogden Trail, which is open year-round, will be better defined.

Project specialists are advising the public to not enter the Peter Skene Ogden Trailhead parking lot at this time due to ice dams that have diverted portions of the creek, causing flooding and hazardous, icy conditions. Heavy equipment will also be working in the area, assisting with the floodplain restoration work.

The restoration project is focused on a stretch of Paulina Creek running north from County Road 21 to an area adjacent to Peter Skene Ogden Group Camp.

The restoration work was identified as a goal by the Deschutes National Forest natural resource team, said Fisher.

The current phase of the project runs through early February, and a second phase is expected to proceed in spring or early summer, according to Deschutes National Forest spokesperson Jean Nelson-Dean.

Funding for the project is being boosted with a $100,000 grant from Calgary-based TC Energy, through its “community giving” program. TC Energy operates a gas line that parallels U.S. Highway 97 for approximately 10 miles on the Deschutes National Forest. The National Forest also contributed $22,000 in rock pit reclamation funds.