North Fork Salmon River Habitat Restoration

Project Narrative

The project goal was to improve spawning, rearing, and overwintering habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead in the North Fork Salmon River. Work was completed at four worksites. Worksite #1: Total stream treated was 0.4 mile. This work was completed in summer 2016. Project actions included: installed four channel spanning weirs with excavated pools, created 0.1 miles of off channel habitat, planted 1 acre of riparian habitat, and increased floodplain access by grading mine tailings from an area 50 feet wide by 250 feet along the river. The new floodplain is being activated, and the riparian plants are growing nicely. The habitat structures are holding up well and fish are utilizing them. The 0.1 miles of off channel habitat is still connected to the mainstem and is providing cold water refugia and access to a spring pond. Approximately 0.8 miles of streambank was planted with Salix, Populus, Alnus, Betula, Cornus, Symphoricarpos, Prunus, Ribes, and Rosa. Worksite #2: Total stream treated was 0.1 mile. This property was located about 0.6 miles up Sheep Creek, one of the major tributaries to the North Fork of the Salmon River. In April, prior to high water, IDFG and several volunteers installed a bank revetment structure using brush bundles that were built by the landowner. The bank revetment started at the toe of the bank and was built up approximately three feet. This was installed in order to prevent additional erosion on a steep bank. The site was staked in with dormant willow stakes and wooden stakes. During the summer work window, a large engineered log jam was installed in order to deflect flow away from an eroding bank and encourage additional flow down a side channel creating 0.05 miles of of-channel habitat. The side channel entrance and exit were also excavated out in order to allow additional flow. Two pools were excavated (one at each structure). One acre of riparian area was planted with Salix, Populus, Alnus, Betula, Cornus, Symphoricarpos, Prunus, Ribes, and Rosa on 0.2 mile of streambank (both sides of 0.1 mile reach). Worksite #3: Total stream treated was 0.55 mile. This work was completed in summer 2017. Project actions included: installed 34 structures instream (6 engineered log jams, 8 channel spanning weirs, 7 rock barbs, and 13 individual boulders in two boulder fields). Pools were excavated for each feature. Two acres of riparian area were planted with Salix, Populus, Alnus, Betula, Cornus, Symphoricarpos, Prunus, Ribes, and Rosa on 1.1 miles of streambank (both sides of 0.55 mile reach) in fall 2017. Worksite #4: Total stream treated was 0.25 mile. This work was completed in summer 2017. Project actions included: installed 11 instream structures (3 engineered log jams, 2 channel spanning weirs, and 6 boulders in a boulder field). Pools were excavated for each feature. One acre of riparian area was planted with Salix, Populus, Alnus, Betula, Cornus, Symphoricarpos, Prunus, Ribes, and Rosa on 0.5 mile of streambank (both sides of 0.25 mile reach) in fall 2017.