Morgan Property Acquisition

Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Acquisition

Land or Easement Acquisition
Project ID005 21 SA
Recovery DomainsSnake River
Start Date12/09/2021
End Date10/31/2022
Year2021
StatusCompleted
Last Edited02/27/2024
 
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Description    


Through the Morgan Property Acquisition project, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) purchased a 58.49 acre parcel located in the middle portion of the Lemhi watershed, to expand ongoing habitat rehabilitation efforts. The property purchase, which includes 10 acres along the Lemhi River and associated floodplain, with 600 ft of river frontage, borders IDFG’s Hayden Creek access property. Fish habitat rehabilitation efforts are being developed, or are in construction, upstream and downstream of the Morgan property. The purchase provides a unique opportunity to rehabilitate a larger degraded section of the Lemhi River, and expands the river bottom IDFG property to approximately 34 acres, increasing the amount of river length by more than a third, enabling IDFG to complete a 0.75 contiguous mile restored reach that will have more substantial benefits to fish and wildlife.



The property purchase was coordinated by IDFG Region 7 and Headquarters personnel. Much of the due diligence related to survey, appraisal, and IDFG Bureau, Directors Office, and the Fish and Game Commission approval was completed prior to PCSRF award. Additional steps completed under this contract included presenting the project to the Lemhi County Commissioners to receive their approval. Final Fish and Game Commission approval was secured. IDFG staff proposed a fee title acquisition, and the State of Idaho and the property owners signed a Purchase and Sale agreement. The Morgan property closed on 5/19/22. All necessary documents were transferred, including funds for purchasing, resulting in transfer of ownership to IDFG.



IDFG coordinated with Idaho’s Office of Species Conservation and NOAA Fisheries to complete a Notice of Federal Participation that is attached to the property deed. The property will provide public access to the Lemhi River/Hayden Creek confluence.

Project Benefit    


The property acquisition will create habitat rehabilitation opportunities that are expected to substantially benefit Chinook salmon and steelhead in the Lemhi watershed. It lies within the Hayden Reach, which is a river segment that occurs at the downstream end of the most important production areas for Chinook salmon in the basin. As such, some of the highest densities of juvenile salmon have documented in this reach (IDFG unpublished data). Unfortunately, habitat condition is less than optimal due to previous anthropogenic disturbance, resulting in low fish survival. When acquired, aquatic and riparian habitats will be significantly enhanced, with an expected positive response in ESA listed Chinook salmon and steelhead.



Ecologically speaking, benefits to the ongoing rehabilitation efforts will be significantly enhanced by this acquisition. IDFG and collaborative habitat managers would be able to restore a much larger contiguous river segment that would extend approximately 0.75 mile. Habitat projects are being developed, or are in construction, upstream and downstream of this property. A more continuous floodplain will allow more natural ecological processes to occur, further enhancing benefits to multiple life stages of juvenile salmon and steelhead.

Accomplishments

Metric Completed Originally
Proposed
Land Acquisition
  Acres Acquired or Protected 58.5 58.5
  Stream Bank Miles Acquired
  or Protected
.23 .23

Funding Details

SourceFunds
PCSRF$188,000
State$63,848
Report Total:$251,848


Project Map



Worksites

Morgan Property    


  • Worksite Identifier: Morgan Property
  • Start Date: 01/01/2022
  • End Date: 10/31/2022
Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

  • Basin: Salmon (170602)
  • Subbasin: Lemhi (17060204)
  • Watershed: Upper Lemhi River (1706020405)
  • Subwatershed: Zeph Creek-Lemhi River (170602040510)
  • State: Idaho
  • Recovery Domain: Snake River
  • Latitude: 44.863745
  • Longitude: -113.62311

ESU

  • Snake River Basin Steelhead DPS
  • Snake River Spring/Summer-run Chinook Salmon ESU

Map

Photos

Metrics

Metrics
  • C.0 Salmonid Habitat Restoration and AcquisitionY (Y/N)
    •      . . C.0.a Habitat restoration and acquisition funding 251,848.00
    •      . . C.0.b Length of stream treated/protected .23
    •      . . C.0.c
      Project identified in a Plan or Watershed Assessment
      NMFS 2017. ESA Recovery Plan for Snake River Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) & Snake River Basin Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
    •      . . C.0.d.1 Project Monitoring (LOV)
    •      . . C.0.d.2 Monitoring Location (LOV)
    •      . . C.10 Land or Easement AcquisitionY (Y/N)
      •      . . . . C.10.a Land acquisition funding 251,847.94
      •      . . . . C.10.b Habitat treatments applied (LOV)
      •      . . . . C.10.c.1 Acquisition or lease of land, wetland or estuarine area for conservationY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . C.10.c.2 Type of acquisition to protect habitat (LOV)
        •      . . . . . . C.10.c.3 Type of property protected (LOV)
        •      . . . . . . C.10.c.4 Date of expiration of protection12/31/9999 (mm/dd/yyyy)
        •      . . . . . . C.10.c.5 Miles of streambank protected by land or easement acquisition .23
        •      . . . . . . C.10.c.6 Acres of land, wetland or estuarine area acquired 58.5