Hundreds of thousands of native plants planted as former mill becomes salmon habitat

More than 20 acres of asphalt were cleared from the old Orick mill site in Northern California and replaced with wetlands, while the Yurok Tribe planted over 420,000 native species.

The decommissioned Orick Mill Site on Prairie Creek, a tributary of Redwood Creek, has been transformed by removing more than 20 acres of asphalt and concrete and rebuilding a mile of stream with floodplain, wetland and side-channel habitats. The Yurok Tribe’s revegetation teams planted over 420,000 native trees, shrubs, grasses and other species, representing about 45 plant types, to anchor the restored landscape and provide shade and food for aquatic life.

The project, completed in 2025, aims to improve conditions for Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast coho salmon, California Coastal Chinook salmon and Northern California steelhead. Preliminary data indicate the 2023 juvenile coho cohort achieved a marine survival estimate of 2.6%, roughly twice earlier figures, though researchers note ocean variability may influence the result. Cal Poly Humboldt, NOAA Fisheries and additional partners continue to monitor fish growth, movement and survival to assess the restoration’s long-term impact. The effort also creates jobs for tribal members and local businesses and contributes to broader habitat restoration goals in the Redwood Creek watershed.