Activities in FY12 focused on continued monitoring of the Spring Creek sites and implementation.  Restoration/ enhancement efforts in FY13 will be focused on streams on the Fort Hall Bottoms per the Fort Hall Bottoms Tributary Assessment. The primary objectives will be the same as in previous years, protect and enhance utilizing rock log deflectors, bank sloping and revegetation and fencing of the project site.  Therefore, restoring the stream bank will decrease channel width thus increasing depth and velocities of stream currents aggrading sediments thus cleaner gravels for spawning habitat and deeper habitat for refuge for larger trout.  These further results in a more dynamic environment as opposed to a habitat that has limited cover and slower water velocities.  Although benthic invertebrates appear to be abundant “trout movement to deeper and faster water may not be related to food alone, such movement could also be explained as cover related.”(Hunter, 1991)  These areas could be described as having large boulders, rubble, depth >1.0 feet, and high velocities.  This project will be very similar to the Yankee Fork Restoration Project also a BPA funded Contract.  The scope will be to utilize a suite of attributes to capture existing conditions of riparian and stream habitat, limiting factors, population dynamics of yct and trout, and include mapping of each stream.  The end product will be a guidance document which will identify priority areas for project implementation on the Bottoms which will also include strategies, types of projects, project sites, and costs estimates associated with each project. The assessment will also be supplemented with LiDAR imaging to further enhance existing conditions of each stream in the assessment. Flight 2 of LiDAR will be conducted during FY13 and will be completed in November FY13. Also, this will further guide through compiled information during the Assessment of limiting factors which will be looked at more closely such as populations of trout and hydrology of the Uppersnake Watershed and how it affects the Bottoms.  

Also, work will  be completed to establish a minimum flow on the lower Portnuef river which will include temperature data, and water chemistry and will include meetings with Tribal Water Resources and Bureau of Indian Affairs. Cost sharing with other Tribal departments for design and engineering for permanent structure weir will be proposed for FY13 as coffer dam for the BIA Michaud Project on lower Portnuef is not adequately structured for fish migration and adequate flow. In addition to the Fort Hall Restoration Project, other awards have been obtained through NRCS to renovate and replace the Clear Creek upper buffalo pasture riparian exclusion fence. Once completed, this project (1992-010-00) will once again propose project implementation for stream enhancement in this area.