The Lake Roosevelt Rainbow Trout Habitat/Passage Improvement Project is a resident fish substitution project intended to mitigate for anadromous fish losses caused by the construction and operations of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams. The goal of the project is to increase natural production of rainbow trout for Tribal subsistence and recreational harvest.

The intent of the project is to enhance natural production and survival of wild rainbow trout by implementing management actions designed to address limiting factors due to habitat degradation and to restore the natural hydrologic function of the systems. Ecosystem Diagnosis and Treatment (EDT) modeling and Quantitative Habitat Analysis (QHA) (at the sixth level HUC) indicated the greatest limiting factors for most streams in the Sanpoil and Upper Columbia Subbasins were obstructions to fish passage, elevated summer temperatures, low summer discharge, and sediment loading (IMP Subbasin Plan 2004). Additionally, some data suggested nutrient limitation because most streams were nitrogen and phosphorus limited.

During 1990-1991 the initial phase of the project focused on the assessment of limiting factors following assessment of 27 streams and five streams were selected for improvements. Between 1992 and 1995 project personnel conducted implementation of designed habitat improvements. Those improvements were monitored from 1996 through 2000.

In 2000, Bridge Creek was selected for the next phase of improvements and the work was completed in 2004. Additional work completed includes the removal of a passage barrier on Roaring Creek in 2003 and Thirty Mile Creek in 2005. The stabilization of 1000 feet of actively eroding bank along the Sanpoil River was also completed in 2005. Bank stabilization projects were completed on South Nanamkin, Bridge Creek, and Thirty Mile creeks to repair damage resulting from higher than normal peak flows in the spring of 2006. Project staff also implemented several fencing projects to allow for the restoration of riparian habitat There was also continued monitoring of stream water temperatures, monitoring of migratory rainbow trout escapement, and habitat surveys.

In 2012, we will implement two primary habitat improvement projects to address previously identified limiting factors. First,  we will install 3.0 additional miles of fencing to protect and allow for the natural restoration of stream and riparian habitat, as well as monitor and maintain the existing 13.5 miles of riparian fence previously  constructed by this project. Second, we will work with the Washington State Department of Transportation to finish design plans and implement the construction phase of the culvert replacement on SR21 at South Nanamkin Creek. The current culvert is a fish passage barrier.

We will also conduct habitat inventories, fish population assessments, and macroinvertebrate assessments on Barnaby, Hall, Stranger, and Nez Perce creeks (priority Upper Columbia Subbasin streams). Inventories of aquatic resources have not been completed on these streams. In addition, the inventories will allow for future EDT modeling to assess habitat limiting factors and identify and prioritize habitat protection and restoration activities.

In addition, we will continue and expand temperature and water quality monitoring to assess habitat limiting factors, develop species rules for non-anadromous redband trout and kokanee salmon to facilitate future EDT modeling, and contribute data to and support hosting of the Colville Tribes Resident Fish and Wildlife database.