Dunstan Homestead, Middle Fork, John Day River

Why You Should Visit
Wild spring chinook salmon and summer steelhead fight their way 484 miles upriver from the ocean past three major dams to spawn in the gravels of the Middle Fork John Day River. Because it has never had hatcheries, the John Day is a key resource for recovery of wild salmon in the Columbia Basin. Four and one-half miles of river on a former ranch are being restored to provide spawning habitat for these fish.

Location
Near John Day, in central Oregon

Size
1,199 acres

How to Prepare for Your Visit
The best time to visit is from May to November. Camping is available at the USFS Middle Fork Campground, located about four miles east of the Sunshine Guard Station. For more information, please see our Preserve Visitation Guidelines.

Directions
From John Day:

Go east on Highway 26 past Prairie City to Austin Junction (about 16 miles).
Turn left (north) onto Highway 7 towards Baker and Sumpter.
After approximately one mile, turn left and drive approximately 13 miles west towards Susanville.
The preserve begins just west of the U.S. Forest Service Station at Sunshine and continues for approximately four miles on both sides of the road.

From Pendleton:

Take Highway 395 South (about 64 miles) to Dale.
Continue on 395 another 12.8 miles to County Route 20.
Turn left at Ritter Junction just before the bridge crosses the Middle Fork John Day River.
Follow the paved county road 24 miles, heading southeast.
The preserve is along both sides of road between mileposts 13-17.

What to See: Plants
Alders, black cottonwoods, willows and sedges create a diverse riparian community, while ponderosa pines and Douglas-firs dominate the upland slopes.

What to See: Animals
In addition to the wild spring chinook salmon and summer steelhead, the Dunstan homestead is home to migrating and nesting songbirds, marten, black bear and elk among other wildlife.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Because it has never had hatcheries, the John Day is a key resource for recovery of wild salmon in the Columbia Basin. The conservation challenge is to restore former river meanders and streamside vegetation, in order to increase and improve habitat for fish, elk, beaver, songbirds and other native wildlife. A 1996 wildfire burned two-thirds of the preserve, causing no damage to structures but returning fire to the site, and providing ecologists with an opportunity to study the effects of the fire over time.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The preserve is named for the Dunstan family which homesteaded the site in 1888. In 1996, a dedication ceremony with family members included Mildred Deardorff, who was born on the homestead. The Conservancy works in partnership with Oregon Fish and Wildlife, Malheur National Forest, the Umatilla and Warm Springs Confederated Tribes and others to restore natural flows and vegetation to the river floodplain. Several blockages, created by an old railroad grade and river channelization activities, have been removed from two formerly active channels. Recent counts of redds (salmon spawning nests) have been encouraging.

Ecologists gather and analyze data on water flows and temperature, to better understand the hydrology of the river and its floodplain. Ecologists have developed a forestry plan to restore the health of the uplands; so far, they have thinned 124 acres of forest. Future activities include reintroducing fire in the uplands. Ecologists are also sampling aquatic invertebrates, spotted frogs and breeding bird populations on the preserve.