Habitat restoration is a key component to restoring Snake River run steelhead runs to historical levels. Habitat biologists recently restored steelhead passage to seven miles of stream in North Central Idaho. A type of fish ladder was built into a large 170-foot long fish barrier culvert near the mouth of Big Meadow Creek in 2018. The fish ladder allows adults to navigate through the culvert accessing the upstream habitat. After more than 42 years steelhead once again have access to the seven miles of historic habitat. Also, three undersize culverts were replaced upstream of the ladder insuring steelhead access to the entire watershed’s habitat.
Check out this amazing Steelhead Habitat Restoration video explaining the project!
Culvert installation on Big Meadow Creek
Big Meadow Creek culvert placement