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 is to restore healthy and harvestable salmonid populations through rehabilitation of stream habitat and restoration of ecological function in the riparian corridors of streams within the boundaries of the Colville Confederated Tribes Reservation and Traditional Territories.

The Project proposes to enhance natural production and survival of resident fish for recreation and Tribal subsistence with the implementation of several management actions designed to address habitat related limiting factors and restore the natural hydrologic function of the systems.  In 2011, the project adopted an updated habitat improvement and protection strategy that focused on process-based restoration of natural stream function and a clearly-defined, hierarchical prioritization and implementation strategy to guide improvement actions.

The results of EDT modelling and restoration plan development identified 25 priority reaches to focus our efforts in and concluded that the most common restoration measures suggested for these priority reaches were: additions of large wood to the channel, riparian restoration, livestock exclusion, floodplain reconnections, remeandering straightened channels, wetland restoration, barrier removal, and protection.

The habitat restoration actions will improve the quality and quantity of stream habitat for native fishes.  These actions are designed to increase the abundance of native fish, primarily Redband Trout, to support ecosystem health and harvest opportunities.

We will begin implementation of actions identified in the plan, as well as complete and maintain restoration identified in previous years.  

Work under this contract cycle will include:
•    Maintenance of approximately 16.19 miles of existing riparian fence
•    Monitor riparian cattle exclosures
•    Design BDAs at Moses Creek #2
•    Implement LWD placement in two EDT priority reaches; Sanpoil-4B and Sanpoil-4A
•    Design fish passage structure at Lost Creek for implementation in FY26