The primary goal of the Fort Hall Habitat Restoration project is to restore, enhance, and protect Fort Hall Indian Reservation (Reservation) streams so they can support native fish populations at near historic levels. The Fort Hall Bottoms area provides a range of ecosystem services important to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, which includes  sustaining populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) and other native fish. The range and distribution of Yellowstone cutthroat trout have been impacted in many tributaries of the Snake River by competition with other salmonids and by habitat degradation. Streams on the Reservation have been negatively affected (i.e. loss of riparian vegetation, down cutting, and lateral scouring of stream banks) by a variety of sources, including livestock grazing, American Falls Reservoir construction and operations, and the 1976 Teton Dam collapse.  Damage to stream banks from years of unrestricted grazing continues to be a problem on Reservation streams. Rapid flooding and drafting of American Falls Reservoir in conjunction with seasonal freeze-thaw cycles is a cause of stream bank failures on lowland Reservation streams.  Negative impacts from stream bank failures include, but are not limited to:  widened channels, a reduction in riparian vegetation and in stream cover; increased summer water temperatures, and deposition of fines on critical spawning and rearing substrates.  Stream restoration will continue to be the focus of the Fort Hall restoration work on the Bottoms.

Habitat restoration will remain the primary focus for the Fort Hall project in this contract.  As in the previous contract, restoration work in this contract will address the Doug's Sloping reach of Spring Creek.  Design and engineering work for this project was initiated in contract 77111 Rel 10, and Phase 1 was begun in early 2020 under contract 77111 Rel 19.

Doug's Sloping Project Status and Schedule

The Doug's Sloping restoration project was designed to be constructed in two phases to accommodate the project’s physical size (footprint), available funding, and associated funding schedules. Phase 1 reconstructed the downstream reach and created the foundation for the upstream improvements that will be done in Phase 2 (in the FY20 contract). Phase 2 will enhance the upstream reach and the side channel/beaver pond complexes east and west of the mainstem of the stream. The design will use similar restoration techniques as were applied to the Diggie Creek restoration project in previous contracts.

Work from September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021 will include completion of Phases 1 and 2 of the Doug's Sloping restoration project on head-end areas of Spring Creek on the Fort Hall Bottoms. Phase 1 will be complete in September 2020, and work will move into Phase 2 as outlined in the plan set and design. Project designs have been reviewed and approved by BPA EC and ETS staff.  Revegetation work will continue through June 2021.  

Annual monitoring of Yellowstone cutthroat trout densities in project areas will continue as in previous contracts. Monitoring will also include post-implementation data collection of some silt and water depth readings to compare pre- and post-construction site conditions.  

This contract also includes work on finalizing the ISRP response package (including a Fish Management Plan), community outreach, and out-year planning.