The Yankee Fork Restoration Project is working to improve floodplain/riparian zones along the dredge sections of the Yankee Fork Salmon River (YFSR). Approximately six miles of stream habitat on private land on the YFSR have been severely altered by dredge -mining (1938-1952), eliminating much of the natural meander pattern of the stream and associated in-stream habitat, and riparian vegetation and function.  The altered stream corridor consists of unconsolidated and un-vegetated dredge tailings, which have increased sedimentation of spawning gravels and rearing pools.  The mainstem YFSR has down-cut, causing upslope instability, also affecting many tributary streams. As a result of the extensive dredge mining, a complete re-channeling of lower portions of the Yankee Fork has occurred along with the deposition of extensive unconsolidated dredge piles.  This section of the river has been widened and the channel straightened compared to pre-dredging conditions.  The substrate has been severely altered and is now dominated by boulders and cobbles with few spawning gravels.  The historic floodplain can no longer be accessed and the riparian zone has been severely altered. Following dredge mining, the Yankee Fork road was rebuilt over the dredge tailings.  This road is the primary public thoroughfare to the Yankee Fork drainage, and provides access for popular seasonal recreational activities, and also to the jointly-administered USFS and State of Idaho "Land of the Yankee Fork" State Park and Historical Area established for the interpretation of historic mining in this area of Idaho.  The road also provides access to an on-going large-scale open pit gold mine and to private holdings and residences within the drainage.
The goal of the Yankee Fork Dredge Tailings Restoration Project is to restore natural river channel characteristics, floodplain function, hydraulic and sediment regimes, and aquatic habitat within the dredged reach of the YFSR. Restoring the YFSR, historically a major Chinook salmon producer, to natural conditions will create a healthy, functioning riparian community providing numerous benefits to fish and wildlife. Expected outcomes include benefits to anadromous salmonids through a healthy, functioning floodplain and riparian community, an increase in spawning and rearing habitat for salmonids, an increase in instream habitat diversity, and upslope stabilization.
The Yankee Fork, one of the larger watersheds within the upper Salmon Rive is a large stream size, diversity of habitats, availability of low gradient stream channel reaches, aquatic productivity, and a remnant spawning and rearing population, make the Yankee Fork a potential important Chinook drainage within the upper Salmon River subbasin.  Snake River stocks of Chinook salmon have used the Yankee Fork and its tributaries for spawning and rearing long before human settlements or mining within the watershed.  Every summer the Bannock Tribe would camp at the mouth of Ramey Creek to harvest spawning salmon.  Because of the strong historical fish populations, habitat capability must have been high to support the different species' life histories.  More recently, Snake River Chinook salmon populations have suffered direct mortality associated with hydropower operations of on the Columbia River and the lower Snake River.  In addition, habitat degradation, introduction of exotic species, hatchery supplementation, and instream flow diversions have induced additive pressures on the population as a whole.  Due to the decline of this species, Snake River spring/summer salmon were listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened on April 22, 1992 (57 FR 42529), and the Yankee Fork is classified as critical habitat (57 FR 14653). Until passage problems are resolved, the resiliency and persistence of remaining wild Chinook salmon stocks will be largely dependent on the quality and diversity of remaining stream habitats.  All remaining populations and habitats for Chinook salmon are critical to the persistence and recovery of this species.
In accordance with the Fish and Wildlife Program goals, this project will benefit the biological needs of salmon, steelhead, and bull trout and protect other native fish and wildlife species by improving habitat conditions in the Yankee Fork Salmon River.   This project will involve cooperative habitat protection and improvement with private landowners because some of the proposed work area is owned by Simplot, Inc.  These privately owned areas are within the USGS Sunbeam Quadrangle, T11&12N, R15E, in Sections 5, 32, 29, 20, and 17. The issues with Simplot are currently being resolved by meetings and negotiations.
This project is addressing the Final Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan, with the cooperation and co-sponsorship of the project among the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, the USDA Forest Service (USFS), State of Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), and Idaho State University (ISU).  Efforts will be coordinated to complement other activities to protect and re-restore important, quality habitat throughout the watershed (primarily USFS lands). This proposed action is supported by the Final Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan; the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River Watershed Assessment; the Upper Salmon River Sub basin Plan; the Watershed Analysis Approaches for Chinook salmon; Yankee Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho; the NMFS biological opinion for Chinook salmon in the Yankee Fork watershed; and the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program.
A draft implementation plan for the Yankee Fork Restoration Project was submitted summer 2008 to the Northwest Power Planning Council and distributed to the Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP).  The ISRP review found that the plan does not meet scientific criteria and states there are three major areas of critical deficiency in the Yankee Fork Restoration Project implementation plan.  These deficiencies are missing proposal components: fish populations and habitat studies, establish and justify qualitative biological objectives, outline Monitoring and Evaluation, and to address mercury and selenium contamination within the Yankee Fork system; resolution of land access and a conservation easement; also, a benefits analysis demonstrating  positive alternatives for fish and wildlife.  Due to data gaps and inadequate information, the project will use the next couple of years fulfilling these concerns and objectives.  Once completed these issues, there will be a final implementation plan submitted to the ISRP and Northwest Power Planning Council, to be reviewed.  The goal is bring all the studies and data gaps to the ISRP at the end of FY10 within a final implementation plan.