There was a 6 ft. water control structure located on private property in the middle reaches of Kelley Creek, which created a 200ft. long, 85 ft. wide in-line pond. This water control structure was a fish passage barrier, and the pond it created had very poor water quality and lacked any kind of in-water habitat structure. Since Kelley Creek supports the best remaining fish habitat in the Johnson Creek basin, it is identified in the Johnson Creek Watershed Action Plan as a high-priority for enhancement and restoration efforts.

• Open fish passage
• Improve in-stream habitat structure
• Improve riparian canopy
• Improve water quality

It was critical through the planning and design process that all stakeholders' needs were being met. The JCWC worked very closely with the property owners to ensure all their needs were being met through the process. The final design had to meet the landowner's requests as well as provide passage for fish. The selected final design consisted of:

• Remove six foot water control structure
• Create a new 400 feet of stream channel to provide passage and habitat
• Retain a pond feature by building an earth berm to separate the pond from the stream channel
• Install large woody debris in the channel and on floodplain
• Revegetate the sides of the channel and the floodplain

Construction started in July 2007. Kelley Creek was diverted through a pipe around the project area while contractors removed and hauled off approximately 1,500 cubic yards of silt material that once was the bottom of the pond. The six foot concrete dam was demolished and removed off site. A new stream channel was created, comprised of 12 pool/riffle sequences. The pond feature was retained, but separated from the stream channel by creating an earth berm. In order to maintain water levels in the pond, a pipe was installed with an inlet at the upstream end of the project that would allow water to be diverted from the stream to the pond during the winter months that as consistent with the property owner's water rights. Large woody debris with root wads were installed into the channel to support habitat structure and bank stability. The entire site was seeded with native grasses and planted with native trees and shrubs.