Dike repair project at Ted Trueblood Wildlife Habitat Area slated to begin Nov. 20

Fish and Game, in conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management, will be conducting dike repairs at the Ted Trueblood Wildlife Habitat Area starting Nov. 20, with work expected to wrap up after about three weeks.

Visitors to Ted Trueblood WHA should be aware that the parking lot that intersects Highway 167 will be closed to the public during this time, along with Pond 1 and Pond 2. Pond 3 will remain open to the public for the duration of the project.

Two of the three ponds (Pond 1 and Pond 2) at Trueblood were left dry this fall in anticipation of this maintenance project. Barring an unforeseen setback, Fish and Game staff anticipate that the work will be concluded and these two ponds will be filled during the ongoing waterfowl seasons, providing additional wetland habitat for migrating birds, as well as opportunity for hunters.

"We recognize this has been inconvenient for the past couple years, but we are excited to again have all the ponds full and in good working condition," said Zac Huling, Regional Wildlife Habitat Biologist. 

The Ted Trueblood Wildlife Habitat Area is co-managed with the Bureau of Land Management and is one of seven segments that fall under the umbrella of the C.J. Strike Wildlife Management Area. The Trueblood segment is managed for waterfowl production and public hunting access. The property surrounds a 40-acre private pond with two access easements. 

This dike repair is among a number of recent projects aimed at improving the Ted Trueblood Wildlife Habitat Area for both waterfowl and hunters. Fish and Game and BLM staff completed a habitat improvement project in 2021-2022 that reduced bullrush and cattails in Pond 1 and Pond 2 and created more open water. Parking lot improvements and road maintenance work were completed at the end of 2022.