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LOWER AMAZON CREED RESTORATION PROJECT Water Resources Development Act. (WRDA), Section 1135 Summary of Accomplishments This is an U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cooperative restoration project with the City of Eugene as the local sponsor. The BLM is also a cooperating agency because it owns land within the project: WRDA, section 1135, is designed for the Corps to improve environmental functions, which were damaged by past Corps' projects. Because the Corps straightened, deepened, and diverted Amazon Creek in the 1950s and 1960's, this project to remove levees and restore native wetlands in the Amazon Creek floodplain is a perfect match for this Act. This $6.5 million project is funded with 75% federal funds (up to $5 million) and 25% local match. This site provides excellent habitat for water birds, birds of prey, and nesting Western Meadowlarks. In 1999, the project began on the 400-acre restoration site with the following steps: 1. About 150,000 cubic yards of levee fill material were removed with: • 80,000 cubic yards placed at the perimeter of the project to contain the 100-year floodplain • 70,000 cubic yards transported to Fern Ridge Lake for use in creating dikes to form wildlife pond habitat for wildlife. 2. The exposed banks along the channels were protected with over 100-miles of biodegradable erosion mat materials to stabilize soils and provide a firm base for replanting. 3. The exposed areas were planted with over 350,000 native plants salvaged from the Fern Ridge project, and hundreds of pounds of seeds were distributed to restore prairie and streamside habitats. 4. Two old weirs at the junction of the Amazon Diversion and "A" Channels were removed, and a new water control weir was constructed along the "A" Channel near Royal Avenue. In 2000, the second phase of construction included: 1. An additiona140-acres of prairie and emergent pond wetland restoration in the floodplain. 2. Alteration of ditches to create more natural surface flow over the project area. 3. Monitoring of 1999 restoration. 4. A prescribed burn on 27acres. In 2001, the third phase involved: Restoring another 60 acres, with removal of 84,000 cubic yards of material. Onset of construction of another two miles of the Fern Ridge bike path, including building four bicycle bridges. Construction of an observation lookout on Greenhill Road and development of interpretive signs. Continued monitoring. Following completion of the third year, monitoring will continue, and the Wetland Mitigation Bank will undertake another 138-acres of restoration on adjacent lands owned by BLM within the 400-acre site.