Peterson Ranch Conservation Easement

Project Narrative

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) purchased an 181-acre conservation easement (CE) on the Peterson Ranch, located in the Lemhi River valley, to permanently protect conservation values and enable significant river restoration to occur on the property. The CE permanently protects 181-acres of working ranchland and wildlife habitat, and 0.60 miles of Hayden Creek (0.15 mi) and the Lemhi River (0.45 mi). In placing a CE over this property, TNC ensured that strategic restoration activities occur that directly address the needs of juvenile fish leaving spawning areas upriver. The Peterson Ranch CE is downstream adjacent to the Split River Ranch CE (PCSRF project 021 16 SA), purchased in June 2021. The two easements together protect a continuous 0.16 miles of Hayden Creek, and 1.2 miles of the Lemhi River. A portion of the restoration work related to PCSRF project 014 21 SA/Lemhi River Mile 32 Habitat Enhancement- Confluence Phase was completed and used as match for the CE. Habitat actions included excavating new side channels, stabilizing streambanks, and installing instream wood structures in 0.3 miles of the Lemhi River to create off channel habitat and a side channel network, to improve juvenile rearing capacity for salmon and steelhead in the Lemhi River. At the project proposal stage, all habitat metrics were proposed for the entire Confluence Phase. However, only a portion of the project’s instream habitat metrics were used as match, and are reported as such. The rest of the metrics will be reported under project 014 21 SA, and metrics between the two projects are not double-counted. Project Benefits Include: 1. Permanently protect 181 acres of working ranchland and wildlife habitat. 2. Permanently protect .60 miles of Hayden Creek and the Lemhi River. 3. Obligate the landowner to river restoration activities that will address juvenile rearing capacity limitations in the Lemhi watershed. These activities will include the construction of side channels, instream habitat work, and activating floodplain connectivity.