North Fork Salmon River Habitat Restoration Thomas Property

Project Narrative

The project improved spawning, rearing, and overwintering habitat for ESA listed Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead trout (O.mykiss) in the North Fork of the Salmon River and Hughes Creek. The project increased habitat complexity, recruited spawning gravels, and created over winter and rearing habitat on private property. Habitat complexity included creating pools, provided cover with the placement of wood, provided staging areas for adult migrating fish, recruitment of spawning gravels, lateral habitat improvement, and increasing bank stabilization by planning riparian vegetation. Proper installation of all of the habitat features were achieved on this project. A biologist and/or engineer was on site for all of the instream channel work. Visual inspection during construction and afterwards is how the project was determined to be successful. All disturbed area was rehabilitated with riparian plants and seed. The habitat features and riparian plants will be monitored for the next several years to determine successful growth. The action outcomes met expectations for this project. Photos are included at the end of this document. Worksite #1 – North Fork Salmon River: 1. Installed three channel spanning weirs, seven engineered log jams, one boulder field with 6 boulder clusters and pools, and one partial channel spanning weir on the North Fork of the Salmon River. The river section is approximately 0.27 miles in length. Pools were excavated at all of these structures. Each structure can affect 3-5 m of stream, depending on site specific hydraulics.
2. Installed riparian vegetation throughout the entire project on both sides of the river. Native vegetation was used to help with bank stabilization, river shading, and habitat. A total of 3.5 acres were planted with native trees, shrubs, and grasses along the North Fork of the Salmon River. Worksite #2 – Hughes Creek:
3. Installed a riparian jack fence along 0.20 miles of the North Fork of the Salmon River. The fence is on one side of the river and will protect the riparian zone from cattle grazing. Worksite #2 – Hughes Creek: 1. Installed three channel spanning weirs, two boulder fields, each with two boulder clusters, and nine engineered log jams on Hughes Creek, a tributary to the North Fork of the Salmon River. This river section is approximately 0.32 miles long. Pools were excavated at all of these structures and can affect 3-5 m of stream, depending on site specific hydraulics.
2. Installed riparian vegetation throughout the entire project on both sides of the river. A total of 4.5 acres were planted with native trees, shrubs, and grasses along Hughes Creek.
3. Installed a riparian jack fence along both sides of Hughes Creek. The river section is 0.32 miles long and will protect the riparian zone from cattle grazing. This project work will increase instream channel complexity, increase recruitment and retention of vital spawning gravels, provide resting, rearing, and overwinter habitat, provide bank stabilization, and protect and enhance the riparian vegetation. This will significantly improve habitat conditions for Chinook salmon and Steelhead spawning, rearing, and overwintering conditions. The project area is located in the North Fork of the Salmon River and Hughes Creek basin within the Chinook salmon and steelhead production area. This area currently lacks staging areas, overwintering habitat, habitat complexity, and spawning gravels. As spawning and rearing conditions improve, the number of juveniles surviving in the North Fork to pre-smolt and smolt stages is expected to increase.