Upper Salmon Basin and Clearwater Basin Design Suite

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) completed project development and designs for four projects in the Salmon basin and one in the Clearwater basin, focusing on access and improved habitat conditions for Snake River Summer steelhead and Snake River Spring/ Summer Chinook Salmon, though Bull Trout and Sockeye Salmon are also expected to benefit from implemented projects.

In the Salmon River basin, 15% designs were completed for Poison and Kinnikinic Creeks, two culvert to bridge projects that will provide fish passage for ESA-listed Chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout. Both tributaries are currently disconnected from the Salmon River and reconnection will provide access to spawning and rearing habitat. These projects will continue design through PCSRF contract 005 23 SA and will be implemented in 2026 (Poison) and 2027 (Kinnikinic) under PCSRF contract 009 24 SA. The Pahsimeroi River Valley Ranch restoration project completed a 15% design for restoration on 1.2 miles of the Pahsimeroi River. Funds to implement this project will be applied for in January 2026. A final design was completed for the North Fork Salmon River Restoration – Cole Property to activate lateral floodplain and instream complexity, and this project was implemented in 2024 under PCSRF contract 014 23 SA.

An amendment to extend was completed in October 2024.

The NOAA recovery plan for Snake River basin steelhead (NMFS 2017) identified impaired fish passage, reduced stream complexity and channel structure, excess fine sediment, elevated summer water temperatures, diminished streamflow during critical periods, reduced floodplain connectivity and function, and degraded riparian conditions as the primary steelhead liming factors in the Potlatch River watershed. While previous projects on the West Fork of Little Bear Creek (PCSRF 010 11 CW; PCSRF 006 13 CW) and its main tributary (PCSRF 004 11 CW; 014 13 CW: 014 16 CW) have focused on addressing passage barriers, the Cooley #2 project will focus on creating pools, increasing stream complexity, floodplain connectivity and function, and decreasing summer water temperature. Additionally, it will directly connect to project PCSRF 010 21 CW, which will be implemented in 2023. Combined, these two projects will restore 1.35 miles of stream habitat. Restoring natural river processes and function will directly increase habitat capacity for juvenile steelhead. The impact of this project should be detectable as it is located in the tributary with the highest densities of steelhead in the Potlatch River Basin (Knoth et al. 2021). Further, there is potential for similar treatments in the 3.5 river miles immediately upstream of the project as this project will demonstrate the efficacy and low risk of this process-based approach to steelhead habitat improvements to interested landowners.