The watershed restoration work elements described in this project area, the South Fork Salmon River and Big Creek Watersheds, follow the watershed restoration approach adopted by the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) Department of Fisheries Resource Management (DFRM) - Watershed Division with the mission of protecting, restoring, and enhancing aquatic ecosystems and treaty resources within the ceded territory of the Nez Perce Tribe under the Treaty of 1855 with the United States Federal Government.  The program uses a holistic approach, which encompasses entire watersheds, ridge top to ridge top, emphasizing all cultural aspects and strategies that rely on natural fish production and healthy river ecosystems.  The NPT DFRM - Watershed Division strives to maximizing historic ecosystem productivity and health for the restoration of anadromous and resident fish populations and the habitat on which all depend for future generations.  The South Fork Salmon River and Big Creek Watersheds provide important spawning and rearing habitat for anadromous fish species.  The NPT DFRM - Watershed Division is working in partnership with the Payette and Boise National Forests; Valley and Idaho Counties; Idaho's Department of Environmental Quality; Idaho's Department of Fish and Game; Idaho's Office of Species Conservation; NOAA; USFWS; and private landowners to achieve restoration goals.    

PROJECT GOAL:
The ultimate goal of this ongoing project is to work following the holistic, ridge top to ridge top approach to protect and restore the ecological and biological functions of the South Fork Salmon River and Big Creek Watersheds to assist in the recovery and protection of anadromous and resident fish species, and all other fish and wildlife.  The goals of the watershed restoration projects implemented by the NPT Watershed Division are to reduce human caused sediment problems affecting spawning habitats, to reconnect and restore spawning and rearing habitat, protect and restore stream bank habitat, and identify other potential impacts on anadromous and resident fish species habitats throughout the watershed.  

PROJECT SUMMARY:
The NPT Watershed Division initiated watershed restoration projects in the South Fork Salmon River Watershed in 2008 which included a comprehensive road inventory and assessment to prioritize future road decommissioning and road-trail conversions, the design of the Salt, Profile, and Parks Creek culvert replacement Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) projects, and the beginning of a cooperative partnership between the Payette National Forest and the NPT.  In 2009, the 3 fish passage barrier culverts on Parks, Salt and Profile Creeks were replaced with pre-stressed, pre-cast concrete free-span modular bridges returning 15.64 miles of fish habitat; full recontour of 22 miles of roads within the Secesh River subwatershed (within the Cow, Calf, Marvrick, Zena subwatershed complex); continuation of road inventories, transportation planning, and fish barrier data collection for the entire South Fork Salmon Watershed on the Payette and Boise National Forests to identify future high priority restoration projects.  Also in FY09, we applied for a Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) grant with the Idaho Office of Species Conservation (OSC) to fund a Conservation Easement on the Wapiti Meadow Ranch along Johnson Creek.  This effort represents a Partnership between the Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries-Watershed, the Wapiti Meadow Owner, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.  

During 2010, restoration activities included restoration planning for the Wapiti Meadow Ranch Conservation Easement; the replacement of 5 fish passage barrier culverts to return 7.3 miles of highly valuable cold water fish habitat along Curtis and Trail Creeks;  full recontour of 16 miles roads within the South Fork Salmon River watershed; completion of 39 miles of road surveys and transportation planning in sub-watersheds, and continuation of fish barrier data collection for the entire South Fork Salmon Subbasin on the Payette and Boise National Forests to identify future high priority restoration projects; and 4 fish passage barrier replacements were designed for culverts in the Upper Secesh watershed.  In addition, the Big Creek Watershed was included and an additional 18 miles of roads were surveyed using the GRAIP methodology; numerous fish passage problem areas were investigated; and work to replace the Big Creek Ford was initiated.  All restoration planning, surveys and implementation was performed in cooperation with the Payette and Boise National Forests, with the intent of prioritizing protection and restoration projects watershed-wide into the future, resulting in a comprehensive Watershed Restoration Strategy.   A minimum 30% cost share is the goal to be provided by the Payette and Boise National Forests including cash and in-kind contributions.

In 2011, activities will include restoration activities at the Wapiti Meadow Ranch Conservation easement and along the adjacent Johnson Creek; full recontour of 5-10 miles of roads within the Payette National Forest and 5-10 miles of road within the Boise National Forest, road inventories in the Camp Creek (South Fork WS) and Lake Creek subwatersheds (Upper Secesh WS); continuation of implementation effectiveness monitoring; fish barrier surveys; Thunder Mountain restoration activities; and the replacement of the Big Creek Ford with a 85 foot span bridge.  Long-term restoration planning will continue to focus on sediment reduction, re-connecting tributaries, and habitat protection and restoration.  In addition, limiting factors related to heavy metals and temperature will be investigated.  These activities will require the maintenance of existing partnerships and the development of new partnerships mostly with private property owners within the South Fork Salmon River and Big Creek Watersheds.  Additional funding through sources such as the NOAA Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund have proven successful and will continue.