The following discussions and associated lists include specific immediate and/or critical needs within the Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins. Needs have been defined to
address limiting factors to fish, wildlife, and plant communities;
ensure that gaps in current data or knowledge are addressed;
enable continuation of existing programs critical to successful management of fish and wildlife resources; and
guide development of new programs to facilitate or enhance fish and wildlife management.
Fisheries
General
Fully inventory manmade and natural migration barriers for native fish. Develop methods to identify and prioritize barrier removal projects based on assessments of risk and benefit for basin-wide native fish populations.
Develop and fund reservoir conservation pools to sustain aquatic and terrestrial resources.
Complete fish and wildlife loss assessments for federal projects at Lucky Peak, Arrowrock, Cascade, and Deadwood.
Describe relative importance of key tributaries to bull and redband trout production.
Continue to inventory native salmonids in the Middle and Upper Snake River Provinces to determine current status and major factors limiting their distribution and abundance, and based on these findings, develop and implement plans and strategies for recovery where populations are at risk of extirpation.
Continue to gather and analyze genetic information on native salmonids throughout the Middle and Upper Snake River Provinces to determine the purity of populations and the degree of genetic variability between and among populations.
Develop genetic-DNA markers for redband trout so that the degree of introgression with introduced rainbow trout can be quantified and the degree of variability between and among populations of redband trout can be determined.
Continue coordinated collection of water temperature data throughout the Middle and Upper Snake River Provinces.
Sediment and nutrient control programs throughout the subbasin should include, but not be limited to: 1) improved road maintenance or road closures to reduce erosion of roadbed materials into streams, 2) incentives for landowners to provide riparian buffers in croplands and pastures, 3) development of settling ponds or wetland filters to treat agricultural return flows, and 4) purchase of grazing rights or reductions in grazing intensity on public lands along high priority stream reaches.
Develop artificial wetlands program to treat return flows and provide wildlife habitat and waterfowl production.
Install and maintain fish screens on all significant diversion structures; include flow monitoring at headgates to improve efficiency of irrigation systems.
Provide fish passage at all flow stages around irrigation diversion structures.
Boise River Subbasin
Develop and fund interagency team to evaluate effectiveness of the Kirby Dam fish ladder; expand monitoring to fully document bull trout escapement, timing, and spawning locations, establish trend sites for redd counts, and assess risks from brook trout.
Enhance the minimum conservation pool in Arrowrock Reservoir to secure overwintering habitat for bull and redband trout.
Monitor bull trout entrainment losses from Arrowrock Reservoir following the proposed valve replacements and installation of hydroelectric plant; work with BOR and hydro operators to develop and test avoidance technologies to minimize entrainment.
Enhance fishing opportunity by developing fishing ponds in existing dredge ponds in the Middle Fork Boise and Mores Creek watersheds.
Secure and increase minimum stream flows in the Boise River between Lucky Peak Dam and the mouth.
Evaluate the distribution and potential impacts of brook trout hybridization with bull trout in the Fall Creek drainage. Assess habitat quality. If habitat is suitable and brook trout threat is negligible, consider developing passage around the falls.
Replace or modify culverts that are potential barriers in the Trinity Creek and Spring Creek drainages.
Payette River Subbasin
Purchase storage space in Cascade Reservoir to increase minimum pool storage to approximately 475,000 acre-feet; needed to increase survival of coldwater fishes currently limited by high nutrient loading and low dissolved oxygen.
Install a fish ladder at the Gold Fork Canal diversion structure. Fish passage at this structure would open approximately 44 stream miles to migratory fish.
Install fish screening on the Gold Fork Canal diversion.
Install modern irrigation diversion structures within the Cascade Reservoir watershed to accomplish sediment and erosion control.
Create and fund local fish screen construction programs to design and implement cost effective irrigation diversion fish screens.
Create irrigation return filtration wetlands to remove nutrients and create waterfowl habitat.
Build fish ladder on Brown's Pond to connect the upper Lake Fork Creek with Little Payette Lake. Construct fish ladders or other passage structures on all diversions that create passage problems.
Purchase and retire grazing and agricultural easements on BOR lands around Cascade Reservoir to reduce direct input of nutrients to the reservoir and create upland wildlife habitat.
Create grazing and riparian easements and riparian pastures along critical stream reaches to help reduce nutrient input and rebuild riparian plant communities.
Determine status of fluvial migratory bull trout in the upper South Fork Payette River, including abundance, life history, and migratory patterns.
Evaluate effects of Deadwood Mine tailings on water chemistry and aquatic biota in the upper Deadwood River; develop restoration or reclamation programs if required.
Improve knowledge of status, life history, and habitat use for bull trout in the upper Deadwood River.
Develop water management and release strategies for Deadwood and Cascade Reservoirs to optimize bull trout habitat in Deadwood and sportfish production in both reservoirs.
Modify outlet structure for Deadwood Dam to allow mixing of warmer surface water with cold deepwater releases.
Install and monitor several tributary weirs during the early spring to discover if bull trout follow spawning westslope cutthroat and redband trout into tributaries.
Reduce sediment inputs to the Deadwood Reservoir. Investigate feasibility of adding a roadbed stabilizer to the road that parallels the Deadwood River.
Determine whether Deadwood Reservoir drawdowns are inhibiting zooplankton production and the ability of bull trout populations to reach spawning tributaries.
Investigate feasibility of water management changes in Deadwood Reservoir to begin irrigation water releases later in August to maximize zooplankton production.
Flows into Deadwood River need to match inflows to the reservoir from mid-June until August. This change would rely on using Cascade Reservoir waters for irrigation earlier in the summer.
Deadwood Dam needs to be modified to allow for mixing of warm lake surface water and deep released water.
Fine sediment inputs to the South Fork Payette River exceed flushing capacity. Sediment sources of fines need to be identified and controlled.
Modify land use practices to improve water quality; develop settling basins or wetland filters to improve water quality in irrigation return flows.
Restore fish passage at Black Canyon Dam.
Weiser River Subbasin
Complete the TMDL process for the basin; identify specific sources of nutrients and sediment.
Use TMDL process to prioritize landscape scale management plans and secure funding to restore stream habitats and connectivity.
Pursue water transfers and agricultural incentives to improve summer flows, decrease water temperatures, and restore riparian corridors.
Expand storage capacity for Lost Valley reservoir to provide increased late summer stream flows and reduce temperatures in the mainstem Weiser River.
Eradicate fish populations in Crane Creek Reservoir to remove introduced non-game species; manage for both introduced and native sportfish.
Implement and (where applicable) continue Integrated Pest Management programs.
Assist landowners with land holdings and easements.
Continue long-term bird monitoring.
Cooperate on threatened, endangered, and sensitive species recovery or conservation strategy efforts in the subbasin.
Acquire existing ecological data sets where possible and compile metadata according to national standards.
Monitor use of existing reference areas to assure consistency with the maintenance of ecological values.
Establish and maintain permanent baseline monitoring systems within ecological reference areas for priority ecosystems and species.
Identify candidate sites for the establishment of ecological reference areas based on current needs assessments. Periodically update ecological reference area needs assessments.
Ponderosa Pine Forest and Woodlands
Inventory and map the current and potential distribution of ponderosa pine-dominated plant communities in appropriate watersheds of the Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins. Inventory, map, and gather population data for ponderosa pine associated wildlife and plant species.
Acquire lands on breaklands when opportunities arise for improved habitat protection, restoration, and connectivity for ponderosa pine plant communities and for mitigation of lost wildlife habitat for ponderosa pine associated species (land purchases, land trusts, conservation easements, landowner cooperative agreements, exchanges).
Restore mid-seral old growth ponderosa pine-dominated plant communities.
Create and maintain large diameter snags in ponderosa pine plant communities.
Develop an information and education stewardship program to foster ponderosa pine protection.
Canyon Grasslands and Sagebrush Steppe
Inventory and map the distribution of canyon grasslands within the subbasin complex.
Inventory and prepare conservation plans for high quality, representative stands of canyon grasslands within the subbasin complex.
Inventory and map the distribution of sagebrush steppe within the Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins.
Inventory and prepare conservation plan for high quality, representative stands of sagebrush steppe.
Inventory, map, and gather population data for canyon grassland and sagebrush steppe associated wildlife and plant species.
Acquire lands when opportunities arise for improved habitat protection, restoration, and connectivity for canyon grasslands and sagebrush steppe and for mitigation of lost wildlife habitat for canyon grassland and sagebrush steppe associated species (land purchases, land trusts, conservation easements, landowner cooperative agreements, exchanges).
Restore canyon grasslands and sagebrush steppe ecosystems.
Investigate and develop appropriate and practical restoration techniques for canyon grasslands and sagebrush steppe ecosystems.
Develop native plant nurseries for propagation and restoration.
Seed-bank native canyon grassland and sagebrush steppe perennial bunchgrass species.
Develop an information and education stewardship program to foster canyon grassland and sagebrush steppe protection.
Complete inventories to better identify, protect, and enhance existing and potential critical sage grouse habitat areas in the upper portions of the subbasin.
Increase public awareness of the status of sage grouse and their biology and support for their conservation.
Riparian Plant Communities
Inventory and map the distribution of riparian plant communities.
Inventory, map, and gather population data for riparian associated wildlife and plant species.
Acquire lands when opportunities arise for improved habitat protection, restoration, and connectivity for riparian plant communities and for mitigation of lost wildlife habitat for riparian associated species (land purchases, land trusts, conservation easements, landowner cooperative agreements, exchanges).
Protect, restore, and create wetland and riparian habitat in lower elevation riparian areas.
Develop an information and education stewardship program to foster riparian community protection.
Improve the trend and condition of the subbasin riparian plant communities located in critical sage grouse habitats.
Reconnect historic streams to recover lost riparian plant communities and habitats.
Noxious Weeds
Inventory and map the distribution of noxious weeds.
Develop and use restoration techniques for noxious weed infested plant communities.
Continue control programs for noxious weeds to restore natural habitat conditions and plant communities for wildlife species.
Develop an information and education stewardship program for noxious weeds.
Develop and maintain cooperative information management protocols for the occurrence of noxious weed populations.
Complete inventories to better identify existing infestations and potential critical areas of spread in the subbasin complex.
Improve the trend and condition of the subbasin riparian and upland communities located in the subbasin complex through the elimination of spotted knapweed and other noxious weeds.
Increase public awareness of noxious weed problems and solicit their support for the conservation of native habitats.
Subalpine Forest and Woodland Stand Dynamics and Habitat Relations
Inventory and map the distribution of subalpine forest and woodland (subalpine fir forest, subalpine fir forest and woodland, and whitebark pine-limber pine forest and woodland plant association groups) by seral status and structural condition, within the appropriate watersheds of the subbasin complex.
In selected subalpine fir forest and woodland stands throughout the Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins, determine pre-European settlement fire disturbance regimes.
Investigate fire disturbance and stand dynamic processes in whitebark pine-dominated forest and woodlands in appropriate watersheds.
Investigate techniques and methods to retain late successional habitats on state and private lands (land exchanges, conservation easements).
Develop and implement management prescriptions to restore and promote late successional habitats.
Develop an information and education stewardship program to foster late seral community protection.
Habitat Fragmentation and Disturbance
Identify by county critical wildlife areas and plant communities.
Acquire critical habitats threatened by development when opportunities arise for improved habitat protection, restoration, and connectivity (land purchases, land trusts, conservation easements, landowner cooperative agreements, exchanges).
Work with counties to support timely updates and resource inventories related to local land use plans to further prevent degradations of floodplains, wetlands, riparian, and other sensitive areas.
Reduce road densities through closures, obliteration, and reduced construction.
Need to support planned closures to motorized use on public roads, trails, and cross-country areas and encourage closure of other public motorized roads, trails, and cross-country areas when needed to protect fish, wildlife, or water quality.
Improve enforcement of motorized access restrictions.
Maintain riparian plant communities because of their connectivity value.
Combined Aquatic and Terrestrial Needs
Continue ongoing, and establish new, monitoring and evaluation programs for fish supplementation, habitat restoration and improvement, habitat baseline conditions, water quality and water quantity improvements, conditions and trends. These monitoring and evaluation activities are critical to evaluating the effectiveness of projects at improving habitat, watershed health and enhancing production of target species.
Coordinate monitoring and evaluation efforts at the subbasin and provincial scale to maximize effectiveness and minimize redundancy.
Develop and implement improved practices for agricultural, mining, grazing, logging and development activities to protect, enhance, and/or restore fish and wildlife habitat, streambank stability, watershed hydrology, and floodplain function.
Develop and maintain comprehensive and consistent subbasin databases related to both aquatic and terrestrial resources, and establish a centralized data repository. This will promote more effective resource management.
Investigate effects of potential loss or lack of nutrients due to declines in anadromous salmonid populations, and coordinate and evaluate nutrient enhancement alternatives.
Acquire lands when opportunities arise for improved habitat protection, restoration, and connectivity, and for mitigation of lost fish and wildlife habitat (land purchases, land trusts, conservation easements, landowner cooperative agreements, exchanges).
Protect existing pristine and key fish and wildlife habitats directly threatened by subdivision, recreation, or extractive resource uses.
Support timely updates and resource inventories related to local land use plans to further prevent degradation of floodplains, wetlands, riparian, and other sensitive areas.
Continue to develop watershed assessments at multiple scales to facilitate integrated resource management and planning efforts.
Develop Federal Recovery Plans for threatened and endangered species to provide recovery guidance for state, tribal, and local entities as required by law.
Complete road, trail, and cross-country motorized use area inventory and assess impacts to aquatic and terrestrial resources. Use information to facilitate transportation planning and to reduce densities of motorized roads and trails and reduce areas of cross-country motorized use. Support planned road closures on public land, and encourage closure of other roads.
Support timely updates and resource inventories related to local land use plans to further prevent degradation of floodplains, wetlands, riparian, and other sensitive areas.
Continue and enhance the cooperative/shared approach in research, monitoring, and evaluation between tribal, federal, state, local and private entities to facilitate restoration and enhancement measures. Protection and restoration of fish and wildlife populations and habitat will not be successful without the interest and commitment of all parties.
Better educate the public on issues and policies important to natural resource restoration, protection, and enhancement to encourage meaningful public participation.
