Plans for river restoration making progress

Streambank stabilization and lower floodplains are a few of the goals that the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho has for the Kootenai River. The Kootenai Tribe presented their habitat restoration plan on Thursday. 

The purpose of the habitat restoration is to restore habitat for the endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon and other aquatic species, such as bull trout and kokanee. The river ecosystem changed with Libby Dam and the dikes and has benefited humans with hydropower and flood control but hasn’t benefited the fish. 

“The Kootenai Tribe is using an adaptive management approach,” said Sue Ireland, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Fish and Wildlife Department director.         To be removed from the Endangered Species List, sturgeon have to successfully reproduce in the wild.

“The best chance is to restore habitat.” 

Habitat restoration includes anchoring eroding streambanks with vegetation, reducing flow capacities in side channels, creating wetlands and lower elevation floodplains, and creating a narrower, more effective main channel.

Lower floodplain surfaces would be created using engineered wood structures, not rip-rap according to Sean Welch, River Design Group Hydraulic Engineer. The wood structures would divert energy from the banks to the middle of the river. This would allow regeneration of riparian vegetation.

Modification of the side channels between the mouth of the Moyie Canyon and Bonners Ferry would limit flow into the side channels in order to establish streamside wetlands.

In response to a question about blocking side channels that hold floodwaters, Welch acknowledged that “We cannot flood communities. We will show diligence with hydraulics.”

The plan is divided into three phases: Phase 1 consists of projects near Old Crossport, the island complex above town and near Shorty’s Island; Phase 2 focuses on the braided section of the river from the mouth of the Moyie canyon downstream to Ambush Rock; and Phase 3 focuses on the meandering section from Ambush Rock to the border.

Phase 1 focuses on streambank restoration and substrate enhancement projects with projected implementation in late summer 2011. Phase 2 focuses on streambank restoration, wetland creation, riparian restoration and modification of channel shape beginning in the summer of 2014. Projects in Phase 3 will happen as opportunities with landowners present themselves according to Ireland.

The Kootenai Tribe has been working closely with private landowners to develop restoration plans along the river.

“We won’t progress until we have complete landowner support,” said Ireland, in reference to projects on private land.

“We have to have landowners on board or we don’t have a project,” said Welch. “We are working with landowners one by one down the river corridor.”

“I’m all for it,” said Bill Michalk. “When they spill water this year, they are just going to ruin it. We can artificially produce ideal conditions without the flow.”

“We are trying to design to existing flows,” said Ireland. The Tribe doesn’t want a project that requires manipulation of flows.

“I hope we can pull this off as a community,” said Ireland.

“This will benefit more than fish,” said Ireland. “We are going to try to keep it as local as possible.” The Kootenai Tribe plans on bringing in a general contractor experienced with large restoration projects, but wants to hire as many local contractors as possible to carry out the projects. Fish and wildlife mitigation money from the hydroelectric dams in the Columbia Basin funds the majority of the habitat restoration.