Plant Densities and Irrigation
Stormwater Area
This site, located in Washington
County, was planted using Clean
Water Services' prescribed
planting densities.
This site, located in Washington
County, was planted using Clean
Water Services' prescribed
planting densities.
Bare-Root Plants
We recommend bare-root plants
for better performance and
cheaper planting materials in
any project site.
We recommend bare-root plants
for better performance and
cheaper planting materials in
any project site.
Ash Creek Forest Management, LLC Reforestation Notes
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Ash Creek has been installing and maintaining upland,
ripairian, wetland and stormwater revegetation projects
in the Metro area since 1995. The greatest challenge in
managing these sites is weed management. Weeds
threaten the appearance and function of native
restoration sites until sufficient native plant cover is
established to prevent or at least deter weed
re-invasion. Percent native cover is almost always a
criterion in evaluation of vegetation monitoring results,
not just survival percentages. We strongly recommend
the higher planting densities now prescribed by Clean
Water Services (part c. Quantities) for wetland,
stormwater and riparian areas to achieve a high level of
site occupancy within three to five years of initial planting.
ripairian, wetland and stormwater revegetation projects
in the Metro area since 1995. The greatest challenge in
managing these sites is weed management. Weeds
threaten the appearance and function of native
restoration sites until sufficient native plant cover is
established to prevent or at least deter weed
re-invasion. Percent native cover is almost always a
criterion in evaluation of vegetation monitoring results,
not just survival percentages. We strongly recommend
the higher planting densities now prescribed by Clean
Water Services (part c. Quantities) for wetland,
stormwater and riparian areas to achieve a high level of
site occupancy within three to five years of initial planting.
We recommend bare-root plants because they are cheaper and perform better than
containers. We also recommend against irrigation, which promotes poor adaptation
of establishing stock to actual site hydrology and soil conditions. Once irrigation
systems fail or are decommissioned, significant plant mortality and growth loss
often occurs. Furthermore, while irrigation may provide some modest benefits to
native plant survival in the short-term, overhead irrigation provides far greater
benefits to weeds that compete with native plants for site resources. Irrigation
systems are expensive to install and waste a tremendous amount of water.
Ultimately, irrigation systems become trash and wasted material that is costly to
remove and often just left on sites in a derelict condition. There are native plants
appropriate to every soil condition and hydrologic regime in western Oregon. All we
have to do is place them appropriately to ensure proper stocking without irrigation.
containers. We also recommend against irrigation, which promotes poor adaptation
of establishing stock to actual site hydrology and soil conditions. Once irrigation
systems fail or are decommissioned, significant plant mortality and growth loss
often occurs. Furthermore, while irrigation may provide some modest benefits to
native plant survival in the short-term, overhead irrigation provides far greater
benefits to weeds that compete with native plants for site resources. Irrigation
systems are expensive to install and waste a tremendous amount of water.
Ultimately, irrigation systems become trash and wasted material that is costly to
remove and often just left on sites in a derelict condition. There are native plants
appropriate to every soil condition and hydrologic regime in western Oregon. All we
have to do is place them appropriately to ensure proper stocking without irrigation.
