You may have heard that work is underway to improve steelhead habitat in the Potlatch River (https://idfg.idaho.gov/blog/2019/07/making-steelhead-habitat-complex). Have you ever wondered how IDFG monitors these efforts to determine if they are benefiting steelhead in terms of higher numbers of fish or better growth and survival? Each summer, IDFG crews perform electrofishing surveys throughout the Potlatch to monitor juvenile steelhead numbers. We survey juvenile steelhead both in streams where restoration projects are occurring (treatment streams) and in streams that have no restoration work (control streams). As more restoration projects are completed, we expect to see the number of juvenile steelhead in treatment streams to increase in relation to control streams. We also implant PIT-tags in the juvenile steelhead we capture which allows us to monitor their growth and survival as well. These are just a few ways we monitor the efforts to improve steelhead habitat in the Potlatch. Take a look at this technical report if you would like to learn more specific details on steelhead monitoring efforts in the Potlatch.
https://collaboration.idfg.idaho.gov/FisheriesTechnicalReports/Mgt17-14…