Idaho Habitat Evaluation for Offsite Mitigation Record : Annual Report FY 1984.

Technical Report · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5390357· OSTI ID:5390357

Petrosky, Charles Edward; Holubetz, Terry

An evaluation of existing and proposed habitat improvement projects for anadromous fish in the Clearwater River and Salmon River drainages was conducted. The Clearwater River and Salmon River drainages account for virtually all of Idaho's wild and natural production of summer steelhead and spring and summer chinook salmon, as well as a remnant run of sockeye salmon. Habitat enhancement projects are intended to either increase the amount of habitat, or increase the carrying capacity of existing (usually, degraded) habitat, or both. Migration barriers, such as waterfalls, culverts, and water diversions, can be modified to make available habitat that is not being used, or is underutilized, by anadromous fish. The objectives of this evaluation are: (1) document physical changes in habitat; (2) measure changes in steelhead and chinook production attributable to habitat enhancement projects; (3) measure changes in standing crops of resident fish species due to enhancement; and (4) determine project effectiveness, including relative costs and benefits, to establish the record of credit for mitigation and to guide future management actions. It was not possible to define the level of enhancement for any BPA project in 1984. Evaluations for all projects except three were in the pre-treatment phase during 1984. Because full benefits cannot be defined at current low seeding levels, projects must be monitored until full-seeding is approached. We obtained post-treatment information for three projects in 1984: Lolo Creek instream structures; upper Lochsa River instream structures; and screening of the irrigation diversion on Pole Creek. Of the three, only the Lolo Creek project exhibited any apparent benefits; these apparent benefits were not conclusively determined in 1984. The Lolo Creek project requires a follow-up evaluation in 1985. The Pole Creek project requires better passage for adult chinook at the irrigation diversion. 36 refs., 71 figs., 50 tabs. (ACR)

• Research Organization: Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy
• DOE Contract Number: AI79-84BP13381
• OSTI ID: 5390357
• Report Number(s): DOE/BP-13381-1; ON: DE85016027
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

13 HYDRO ENERGY
130600* -- Hydro Energy-- Environmental Aspects
520500 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANADROMOUS FISHES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
EVALUATION
FEDERAL REGION X
FISHES
Fish habitat improvement - Idaho - Clearwater River watershed
HABITAT
IDAHO
MITIGATION
NORTH AMERICA
PRODUCTIVITY
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
RIVERS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VERTEBRATES