Lower Lemhi River rehabiitation

Idaho Department of Fish and Game - Baker, ID
Historically, the Lemhi River consisted of a large active floodplain containing complex fish and wildlife habitats. The Lewis and Clark expedition noted in their journals a fish weir constructed by Native Americans that spanned multiple channels, suggesting that the river system contained a network of braided channels. As the valley became more populated, agricultural demands and associated infrastructure needs resulted in the modification of the historic floodplain, leading to the straightening and channelization of the Lemhi River. The once active floodplain became isolated from the river, therefore side channel, riparian, and instream habitats that are important to fish were lost.

In recent years, IDFG has worked with landowners in the Lemhi River Valley to return the river to a more natural state through a variety of restoration projects. The goal of these projects is to create a diversity of habitat types that are crucial for anadromous and resident fish of all life stages. As a result of ongoing efforts salmon numbers in the Lemhi are on the rise. Our work has included the procurement , delivery, staging, and installation of 5000 containerized plants, 17,500 live willow stakes, seeding, fertilizing, and straw-mulching of the site, and construction of 3000 linear feet of wildlife exclosure fencing.