Restoring Bear Creek

BCRI is committed to restoring Bear Creek’s riparian corridor and water quality while contributing to meaningful conversations about public usability and safety. Our mission is to address environmental and social issues that come with managing urban stream restoration in the Bear Creek watershed in southern Oregon.

Welcome to the Bear Creek Restoration Initiative! We are a voluntary group of restoration practitioners and decision-makers establishing ourselves as leaders in the recovery and management of Bear Creek - found in the heart of the Rogue Valley, Oregon. Our restoration values and practices are collaborative and inclusive, and rely on sound ecological science to ensure public usability and safety. Learn more about our robust network and how the work we do positively impacts Bear Creek and the Rogue River Basin.

Our vision for the Bear Creek Corridor is to balance environmental and social factors to create an asset for the community that:

  • is connected through parks and trails;

  • creates recreation and education opportunities;

  • emphasizes conservation of natural resources; and

  • improves aquatic and terrestrial habitats for the benefit of Bear Creek and surrounding communities.

Photo credit: Rogue River Watershed Council

Bear Creek Watershed: Our Restoration Efforts

Click on the interactive map below to explore active and future priority restoration projects within the Bear Creek watershed.

What’s New

Featured
Planting for Success! Plant Native Species in Fall or Late Winter/Early Spring
Planting for Success! Plant Native Species in Fall or Late Winter/Early Spring

Local restoration practitioners incorporate multiple strategies to improve water quality and stream temperature including restoring stream banks with native trees and shrubs in this area called the riparian zone.

Leafy Spurge along Bear Creek
Leafy Spurge along Bear Creek

Native to Eurasia, leafy spurge was introduced to North America in the late 1800s likely through grain imported from Russia. Today it can be found across the Great Plains and much of the western U.S, including southern Oregon.

After the fire, plant regeneration in the Bear Creek watershed
After the fire, plant regeneration in the Bear Creek watershed

After the Fire, Plant Regeneration in the Bear Creek Watershed

Banner image credit: The Freshwater Trust