TU scouts for passage, habitat projects

SANDPOINT — The Panhandle chapter of Trout Unlimited is casting for projects that will improve passage or habitat for cold-water fish species in Bonner County.

The nonprofit is asking the public to help identify culverts, small waterfalls or other obstructions that are barring westslope cutthroat, rainbow trout or kokanee from making their way upstream. It’s also looking for projects that improve habitat for those species.

“We’re looking at anything we can hook into to do something to help the fish,” said Pete Renkert, a Panhandle Trout Unlimited chapter member guiding the effort.

Fish passage improvements could include installing fish ladder structures, bottomless arch culverts or traditional culverts in a manner that helps fish make it upstream.

Habitat improvement projects can take the shape of barriers that keep cattle out of streams or in-stream structures which provide refuge for cold-water species.

Culverts with outlet drops that exceed a fish’s jumping ability are particularly troublesome.

“They’re unforgiving,” Renkert said.

Fish may be entirely unable to enter the culvert or they can expend too much energy surmounting the gap to traverse other upstream obstacles.

One doesn’t have to stray too far from town to find just such a culvert. The culvert is submerged when Lake Pend Oreille is drawn up to its summer pool, but the outlet can sit as high as 3 feet above the stream during winter drawdown operations, a time when cold-water species are trying to make it upstream.

Potential projects will undergo a cost-benefit analysis before moving on to a design phase and approval from applicable regulatory agencies at the county, state or federal level, Renkert said.

“We want to do the most good with the resources that we have,” Renkert said.

There are funds TU can commit to projects, but they are by no means unlimited. The chapter is hoping to collaborate with landowners or government agencies to cover the cost difference between simply installing a culvert and putting in something that meaningfully facilitates fish passage.

“Road & Bridge is interested in collaborating with any and all conservation groups,” said Gordon Bates, who supervises the county department.

It’s all the better when groups not only bring solutions to fish passage issues, but are willing to help fund those solutions, Bates added.

“We all hope that, gradually, all these blockages and these things that can’t be done will be done over a period of time to get the most out of all our streams,” said Renkert. “We have a limited resource.”

•••

Know of a good project?

Trout Unlimited is reaching out to the public to identify projects that improve fish passage and habitat. If you know of a project, contact Pete Renkert at (208) 448-9978 or pjrenkert@gmail.com