Matthews Creek Floodplain Habitat Enhancement Design

The objective of this project is to develop 100% designs and complete NEPA/CEQA for creating and enhancing fish habitat at the Matthews Creek site on the South Fork Salmon River. Project design components will include increasing habitat complexity in low flow and high flow side channels, creating off-channel habitat, improving access for juvenile salmonids into existing side channel and off-channel habitats, and revegetating alluvial river bars. The design will create high quality winter rearing habitat and cold-water summer refugia for coho and other anadromous salmonids.

The project is expected to increase the abundance of complex off-channel habitat for year-round rearing of juvenile salmonids by providing both winter high-flow and summer thermal refugia. The project is also expected to increase the amount and quality of spawning habitat through increased gravel sorting and gravel augmentation.