11-18-2013, 01:38 PM
[quote Bmarsh]That's awesome to see. I've said it more than once but I would like to see more resources pulled from stocking and into re vitalizing spawning habitat. More bang for the buck long term .[/quote]
I totally agree with you, but it takes a lot of time and resources. The really BIG problem is that most of the resources that need "fixing" are on private lands, not public. So it takes a cooperative effort of a lot of people and money. The good thing is that it is a win situation for the farmers also.
There are hundreds of these types of fixes going on. For example, in the Gentile Valley area of the Bear River, Fish and Game with the help of Pacificorp have a stellar native Bonneville Cutthroat stocking and reintroduction program going on. The fish planted are no longer rainbows, but are the native fish that they are trying to get reproducing on their own
They have identified and collected the fish locally that they are trying to reestablish in the spawning streams. Blockages on many of the streams are being removed. One stream was narrowed, deepened, and habitat improved. One stream was taken out of a concrete channel through a corral and restored to it's stream bed. Two major springs and streams on the main river have been opened for fish passage and spawning. They were recently restocked with Bonnevilles. I know of at least 3 or 4 irrigation diversion fixes or screenings that are done or going on there. Conservation easements and fencing of the banks along with re-vegetating are an on going process. Hopefully with time the system and fish will be able to run on their own. That is everybody's goal.
These projects are going on all over the state. It takes time, cooperation, money, and volunteers!
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I totally agree with you, but it takes a lot of time and resources. The really BIG problem is that most of the resources that need "fixing" are on private lands, not public. So it takes a cooperative effort of a lot of people and money. The good thing is that it is a win situation for the farmers also.
There are hundreds of these types of fixes going on. For example, in the Gentile Valley area of the Bear River, Fish and Game with the help of Pacificorp have a stellar native Bonneville Cutthroat stocking and reintroduction program going on. The fish planted are no longer rainbows, but are the native fish that they are trying to get reproducing on their own
They have identified and collected the fish locally that they are trying to reestablish in the spawning streams. Blockages on many of the streams are being removed. One stream was narrowed, deepened, and habitat improved. One stream was taken out of a concrete channel through a corral and restored to it's stream bed. Two major springs and streams on the main river have been opened for fish passage and spawning. They were recently restocked with Bonnevilles. I know of at least 3 or 4 irrigation diversion fixes or screenings that are done or going on there. Conservation easements and fencing of the banks along with re-vegetating are an on going process. Hopefully with time the system and fish will be able to run on their own. That is everybody's goal.
These projects are going on all over the state. It takes time, cooperation, money, and volunteers!
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