Lemhi Restoration Designs

The Lemhi Soil and Water Conservation District will work with landowners, land managers, the Bureau of Reclamation, Tech Team partners, permitting agencies, and engineering firms to design and initiate permitting on five projects within the Lemhi River Watershed.



The projects include:

• L-45 Diversion and Restoration Design

• Ball Springs Restoration Design

• Bar 20 to Bureau of Land Management Restoration Design

• Kenney Creek Confluence Restoration Design

• Middle Lemhi Design Phases 2 and 3



The Lemhi SWCD will subcontract design firm(s) to:



• Enhance instream and riparian habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead in line with the 2019 Integrated Rehabilitation Assessment specific targeted life stages

• Stabilize banks with native woody materials

• Reconnect the floodplain

• Eliminate the continual addition of sediment

• Improve vegetative cover

• Decrease summer water temperature

• Establish a weed-free, native riparian community

Developing out-year planning for instream habitat projects is a critical step to meet permitting agency requirements. This suite of projects will set in motion a series of projects with a goal of design and permitting in 2023. Depending on landowner and permitting agency logistics project designs may span into 2024/2025 under the same funding. Each of these locations will be designed to restore natural river processes and function. The restoration actions will target increased habitat capacity for juvenile life stages of salmon and steelhead. Improving the current condition by increasing river sinuosity, developing habitat complexity in the form of woody debris structures, constructing side channels, and riparian zone restoration will result in improved survival for all freshwater juvenile life stages.