Mason II Meadow Restoration Project, Implementation

The Mason 2 Meadow Restoration Project, located on the West Fork Big Bear Creek in the Big Bear Creek subwatershed, within the Potlatch River watershed, restored meadow hydrology and improved habitat for downstream steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The Latah Soil and Water Conservation District (Latah SWCD) treated 0.45 stream miles and reconnected 9.7 acres of floodplain through the following actions: diverting flow from the straightened ditch into the existing and more sinuous historic channel; installing habitat structures and beaver dam analogs to increase habitat complexity, capture sediment, and slow flow; implementing an extensive revegetation effort to enhance riparian vegetation for future shade, bank stability, and future large wood recruitment; and developing off-channel habitat through swale construction, berm removal, and strategic fill areas. As a result of this project, the floodplain has been reconnected, sediment and debris are accumulating in the stream and design channels as well as on the floodplain, and riparian vegetation has been enhanced throughout the project area.



The project was extended by a year to allow for adaptive management following high water, and additional planting seasons.



The Mason 2 project is downstream and adjacent to the Mason Phase I project, which was funded by PCSRF project 005 15 CW, Mason Meadow Restoration.

The project goals are to improve floodplain connectivity and meadow hydration, increase summer baseflows, restore habitat complexity and reduce sedimentation within the reach. The lower mainstem Clearwater River steelhead population is a priority of the Clearwater Major Population Group of the Snake River Distinct Population Segment, as identified in the National Marine Fisheries Service Recovery Plan (NMFS 2017).