In 2004, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began discussing opportunities to collaborate on habitat enhancement within the Elkhorn drainage. Straddling ODF and BLM land, the 6th field Elkhorn Watershed lies within the Trask River Watershed, one of the five major sub-basins in the Tillamook Bay Watershed. The first such collaborative effort within the region, the project offered a unique opportunity to leverage the efforts of state and federal landowners towards common restoration goals. TEP managed the $190,000 project on behalf of the agencies and several other partners.

Elkhorn and Cruiser Creeks

The Elkhorn Creek watershed, which includes the Cruiser Creek drainage, has been identified in the BLM's Salem Resource District's Management Plan as a Tier 1 Key watershed and in ODF's Northwest Oregon Forest Management Plan as a Salmon Anchor Habitat. In partnership with BLM, ODF completed the Trask River Watershed Analysis in August 2003. Cruiser Creek provides essential habitat for coho, steelhead, fall chinook, cutthroat, and Pacific lamprey. Cruiser Creek is also listed as a priority stream for riparian and instream restoration in TEP's Trask River Watershed Assessment and the Tillamook Bay Watershed Council's (TBWC) Trask River Action Plan.