Bonner Soil & Water Conservation District
Conservation programs, assistance and resources for landowners in Bonner County, Idaho.
Pack River Watershed Council
The mission of the Pack River Watershed Council is to improve water quality and riparian habitat in the Pack River watershed for people, fish, and wildlife through education, collaboration, and cooperative projects.
Native Salmonid Habitat Plan
The Pack River Watershed Council, in partnership with Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Avista, are leading the development of a Native Salmonid Habitat Plan for the Pack River watershed.
The Pack River watershed provides critical habitat for native salmonids, especially Bull Trout, which have been listed as a threatened species since 1998. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identified the primary threats to recovery are due to degraded habitat conditions.
The overall goal and focus of the Native Salmonid Plan is to improve native salmonid habitat in the Pack River watershed, especially for migratory Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout.
This plan will summarize and prioritize all recommended watershed restoration, conservation and enhancement projects from previously conducted assessments, especially those which would most benefit Bull Trout. It would also list completed restoration projects and provide a brief history of watershed management in each sub-watershed.
Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus ). Photo from www.ecofishresearch.com
Pack River Delta Restoration Project - Phase II
Pack River Delta - Phase II Area Map
In 2008, Ducks Unlimited partnered with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to implement Phase I of a plan to protect and restore wetland habitat in the Pack River Delta.The project included building log vanes, root-wad roughness structures, and engineered log jams to reduce erosion and encourage natural sedimentation. These structures were installed with a combination of soil bioengineering solutions including fascines, willow bundles, and pole plantings.
Overall, Phase I of the restoration project has worked very well and demonstrated that wildlife habitat restoration in the delta is possible.Phase II will continue the restoration of key upland, riparian and wetland habitats and expand restoration efforts south toward the railroad trestle.
Phase II of the Pack River Delta restoration project is currently in the planning and
design process. Work is expected to begin late next fall, pending completion of the permitting process. Material staging would likely begin this October followed by construction in November after the lake level drops.
For more information on the Pack River Watershed Council contact:
Jessica Erickson, Watershed Coordinator
c/o Bonner Soil & Water Conservation District
(208) 263-5310
Funding for this program is provided thanks to Avista Watershed Council Funding and Bonner Soil and Water Conservation District.