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HISTORY OF THE UPPER SALMON BASIN WATERSHED PROJECT The upper Salmon River and its tributaries once produced some of the largest salmon and steelhead runs in the Columbia River Basin. Each year, thousands of adult salmon would return to this subbasin to spawn, and begin the cycle anew. Salmon were so plentiful, according to local lore, you could cross the Salmon River on their backs. These fish have always been an important part of the region's history, culture and economy. Salmon were originally a primary source of food and commerce for Native Americans and early white settlers. Later, as the region continued to develop, salmon and steelhead provided recreational fishing and helped support local economies. Over the last century, salmon runs throughout the Columbia River Basin have declined dramatically. Today, only a fraction of the once-plentiful salmon runs still returns to the Salmon River tributaries. Fish runs became so low that in 1992, Snake River spring/summer chinook and fall chinook salmon were listed as a "threatened" species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). In 1997, Snake River steelhead were also listed as threatened under the ESA. Many factors have contributed to the decline of the region's salmon and steelhead runs. These factors generally fall into one of four categories: hatcheries, hydropower facilities, harvest, and habitat. For more than a decade, significant efforts have been underway to protect and rebuild the region's fish runs. During this time there has also been disagreement regarding which factors have contributed most to the decline and how to solve these problems. There is agreement, however, that fish runs can only be rebuilt by using a comprehensive strategy that addresses all of the factors. Implementing this type of strategy will require the cooperation and action by all who use the Columbia Basin's waterways. Because Idaho's watersheds once produced some of the greatest fish runs, the issue of fisheries habitat is of special importance. For this reason, The Model Watershed Project was initiated by the Northwest Power Planning Council in 1992 to improve Chinook salmon and steelhead habitat in the Lemhi, Pahsimeroi, and East Fork of the Salmon River watersheds (see Map). The Model Watershed Project was formally changed to the Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Project in 2001 to include the North Fork and Yankee Fork Salmon Rivers, as well as the mainstem of the Salmon River from the mouth of the Middle Fork upstream to its headwaters, for habitat restoration efforts. Habitat enhancement projects are administered through Lemhi Soil and Water Conservation District and coordinated through the Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Project in association with the local advisory and technical committees, public entities, and various local, state and federal agencies. Specific habitat goals, as outlined in the Model Watershed Plan, (1995) include increasing instream flows during critical migration periods, reducing the number of physical barriers hindering migration, developing new rearing and recreating pools, establishing riparian vegetation along critical areas, and reducing the sediment levels within spawning gravels. Projects have included grazing management systems, fencing projects, streambank stabilization, riparian vegetation plantings, and instream structure work. (Summary of Past Projects) These projects include both riparian pasture and riparian enclosure systems, providing direct benefit to fish habitat by improving pool composition, stream shading, and reduction in sedimentation. The Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Project is hopeful that landowners in other subwatersheds will become involved in efforts similar to those ongoing in the areas mentioned.
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The Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), selected these watersheds for inclusion in the Model Watershed Project because they had similar land use, land ownership patterns, agricultural enterprises, and salmon habitat issues. Also, these three drainages contribute approximately 50% of the salmon produced in the Upper Salmon River drainage. From "Endangered Salmon, Turning Emotions Into Action" by Ralph Swift former project coordinator. |
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PROJECT SETTING The Upper Salmon River basin and its major tributaries (North Fork Salmon, Lemhi, Pahsimeroi, East Fork Salmon, and Yankee Fork Salmon Rivers) have a drainage area of approximately 4 million acres. The region has a mixture of land ownership. Most of the valley bottoms are privately owned, the low foothills are sagebrush grazing land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Land management is approximately 90 percent federal and 10 percent private. The reverse is true when you talk about existing occupied salmon habitat (i.e., 90 percent privately owned and 10 percent is federally managed). The area has a semi-desert climate with an average annual precipitation of 23 centimeters (9 inches) in the valley with about 24 inches in the mountains. Snow pack is a key to stream flow each year. No appreciable water storage systems exist in any of the basins except what is stored in the underground aquifers. Beef cattle are the number one agricultural product, with about 25,000 cows present in these watersheds. Hay is the primary crop and all croplands are sprinkler or flood irrigated. The hay is used to support the cattle during the winter months. Public grazing allotments support about 80% of the cattle from May until mid-October.
Only a small amount of logging takes place in these watersheds. Past mining activity such as dredging, hydraulic, and underground mining is evident throughout the drainages. Most of this mining activity occurred in the side drainages where its effect on anadromous fish habitat was limited. For the most part, this mining activity occurred before the turn of the century and the effects have been minimized over time.
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