Dworshak Reservoir Planting

US Army Corps of Engineers – Headquarters, ID
Watershed Restoration Group contracted with the US Army Corps of Engineers to plant red-stem ceanothus seedlings for winter elk forage throughout the slopes above the reservoir. For eight years our crew has made the trek into this wild remote location. While the notoriously steep terrain surrounding the Dworshak Reservoir is in itself a challenge, the most challenging aspect of this project was accessing the rugged planting units. This often required long treks on ATVs or tracked machines, as well as lots of sweat and grit to move plants and supplies to and throughout planting units. We employ experienced staff that are knowledgeable and hardy enough to carry out such tasks and ensure high standards of planting.  

We have made maintenance trips every year to apply browse repellant to every plant across the large acreage. During two phases of the project, we constructed wildlife exclosures designed for temporary browse control, so to allow the plants to establish. Transporting materials into the units and machine operation in this terrain was highly challenging.

Our crews are fully equipped to be self-sufficient in remote locations, and are well versed in spending extended periods in spike camps. We take care to follow the principles of leave-no-trace and make safety a top priority whenever working in backcountry or remote locations.