This project is to assess aquatic habitat and abundance/spatial distribution of fish species throughout the spawning and rearing range of the Lower Clearwater River (LCR) subpopulation of the Snake River Basin steelhead distinct population segment; listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  This region is distinguished within the Clearwater Subbasin Assessment (Ecovista et al. 2003) by its multitude of land management activities, high levels of human population and private land ownership, and unique climatic and geologic characteristics.  Watershed function is highly impaired throughout this region, with much of the salmonid habitat classified as poor condition.

Prioritization of watershed restoration strategies for this region has been severely hampered by a lack of salmonid abundance data.  Outside of three drainages in which recent fisheries inventories have been conducted (Potlatch River, Lapwai Creek and Big Canyon Creek), information relative to distribution and abundance of the LCR subpopulation is restricted primarily to 20+ year old data from a relatively low number of biased surveys (Kucera et al.1983; Fuller et al. 1984; Johnson 1985).  

To facilitate development of protection and enhancement strategies for the spawning and rearing habitat of these threatened salmonids, this project is to provide inventory and assessment data for the 1,155 square mile data gap remaining within the LCR subpopulation area.  This will be accomplished through aquatic habitat and electrofishing surveys of probabilistically located status (one-survey) and trend (repeat-survey) monitoring sites.