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Environmental Assessment allows ongoing White
Sturgeon habitat restoration work to move
forward |
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June 12, 2015 |
from the Columbia Basin Bulletin
http://www.cbbulletin.com/434222.aspx
The Bonneville Power Administration has given
the green light for ongoing white sturgeon
habitat restoration work to continue this
September in the Kootenai River near Bonners
Ferry, Idaho.
BPA prepared an environmental assessment on
behalf of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho that was
put out for public review in February and a
final Environmental Assessment was released in
May. Last week, BPA announced that a finding of
no significant impact had been approved,
allowing the project to proceed.
The project will involve installing structures
along river banks and excavating areas in the
river to create deeper pools of water, along
with enhancing islands with native riparian
vegetation. The Kootenai Tribe has led
restoration work in the river near Bonners for
the last couple years, and the latest work
approved by BPA is expected to be carried out
this fall and next fall.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the
Kootenai Tribe and the University of Idaho have
been monitoring native white sturgeon
populations to determine how they are responding
to the restoration work. Over 100 adult white
sturgeon have been tagged so their movements can
be tracked. But detecting measurable responses
may take time.
“Because of their long lifespan, it is still too
early to tell how the overall white sturgeon
population has responded to habitat restoration
actions to date,” the Environmental Assessment
states.
With the assistance of the Corps of Engineers,
the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho was approved for a
system operation request about a month ago that
will provide for low flows on the Kootenai River
in the project area during September.
“The water that would normally come out in
September will come out earlier,” said Greg
Hoffman, a fisheries biologist with the Corps at
Libby Dam.
During normal water years, the Corps tends to
manage for an elevation of 2,439 feet on Lake
Koocanusa by the end of September, but in
low-water years such as this one, Hoffman said,
the target becomes 2,439 at the end of
September.
The system operations request that was approved
basically seeks bull trout minimum flows out of
Libby Dam, which amounts to about 7,000 or 8,000
cubic feet per second at Bonners Ferry in the
project area. Low flows will allow for
restoration work to proceed in riparian areas
and in the river channel.
For background, see CBB, May 4, 2012, “Holistic:
Restoring 55 Miles Of Kootenai River Habitat For
ESA-Listed Sturgeon, All Native Species”
http://www.cbbulletin.com/420182.aspx
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