Before	After

Government Mountain Road

Government Mountain Road is under the jurisdiction of the Umatilla County Public Works Department. The road begins in the agricultural lands on the foothills north of the North Fork of the Walla Walla River and ends about 11 miles away on a forested plateau on Government Mountain. The lower portion of the road is a well-maintained gravel surfaced road. As the road system climbs Government Mountain, the quality of the road and road surface deteriorates rapidly. During runoff periods, portions of this upper road system are only marginally passable with a 4x4 vehicle. The public road is currently used by a wide variety of people including landowners, forest operators, ranchers, hunters, recreationalists, and sightseers. The road system bisects Little Meadows and Big Meadows, both large, open wetland areas on the Government Mountain plateau. Off-road vehicle abuses to the meadow areas were a result of access off Government Mountain Road.

As a result of frequent and at times heavy use, the upper portions of this road contributed sediment-laden water into the significant tributaries that feed into the Walla Walla River (Big Meadows Creek, Little Meadows Creek, and South Fork Cottonwood Creek). Umatilla County Road Department recognized the problem but simply did not have the funds to fix the situation. A group of landowners on Government Mountain that rely on this road system completed a minor road improvement project in 1996. Their project treated the worst of the water problems on the road by spot rocking and minor drainage work. While the County allowed the work to occur and provided minor contributions to the project, most of the work was completed with private dollars. The major forest landowners on Government Mountain also completed significant road improvement projects on road systems under their ownership. Over the last years, more than 16,900 feet of road rocking and road improvement have occurred. Still, there were significant problems with sediment running off the road.

Project Objectives

• Reduce sediment delivery into the tributaries of the Walla Walla River that result from the Government Mountain Road to improve habitat and water quality for steelhead, bull trout, and other fish species that inhabit the Walla Walla River. Other benefits include unique mountain wetlands protection, and in the restoration of important elk habitat.
• Provide road drainage and a stable road surface on a 3.5-mile section of the publicly owned road.
• Eliminate unauthorized and destructive off-road vehicle use on two significant wetland areas.

Through a grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB), the Government Mountain Phase 1 Project was completed in 1999 (OWEB grant #99-199, for $58,400, sometimes labeled as #98-371). This phase of the project improved the heavily used, poorly maintained Umatilla County road by installing ten culverts, ten drainage dips, and applying rock on nearly 4 miles of road. The project also installed fencing and signs to exclude vehicles from entering two significant, open wetlands.

Through a second grant from OWEB, the Government Mountain Phase 2 Project was completed in 2000 (OWEB grant #99-591 for $28,960). This portion of the project included spreading 3,556 yards of pit-run rock on 8,000 feet of native surface forest roads, installation of four cross-drain culverts, and the construction of three rolling dips. One stream ford on a road was replaced with a metal culvert and one wooden culvert in poor shape was replaced with a metal culvert. The project obliterated 4,500 feet of creek-bottom road. Roadside fencing (9,980 feet) was also constructed to minimize and eliminate off-road vehicle use on two large wetlands and on native surfaced roads in the area.

The tributaries to the Walla Walla River and to Mill Creek will carry less sediment due to these projects, leading to improved water quality. The road has weathered large winter rain events and the drainage systems and road surfacing have performed as designed. Umatilla County Road Department continues to inspect and maintain the road.

Partners who participated in these efforts include: Blue Mountain Land Investments, Blue Mountain Lumber Products, Boise Cascade Corporation, Tom & Cindy Beechinor, Jerry Boddum/Steve Martin, OWEB (then called the Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board), Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State Police, Umatilla County Public Works Department, and the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council. Cost share contributions totaled $85,628 for the first OWEB grant and $28,334 for the second grant.

Before	After