• About Us
    • Contact Us
      • Volunteer & Internship Opportunities
    • Our Vision
    • The HIS Board
    • Support Us
    • Community Educational Partners
    • Corporate & Foundation Support
  • STEM Resources
    • Your State/Province
      • United States
    • Resource Reviews
    • Elementary
      • Elementary Science
      • Elementary Technology
      • Elementary Engineering
      • Elementary Math
    • Secondary
      • Secondary Science
      • Secondary Technology
      • Secondary Engineering
      • Secondary Math
    • 4-H STEM/Science Curriculum
    • Conference Excerpts
  • FIRST Robotics
  • Creation Resources

Homeschool Institute of Science

Just another WordPress site

June 22, 2015

An Ecosystem Restored

steelheadSometimes well meaning projects fail. They lose momentum, the people involved change, and the needs and perspectives of the general public evolve. Dams are a great example of this type of project. In the case of the West Fork of Little Bear Creek and the town of Troy, Idaho the time came and the people stepped up to remove the Dutch Flats Dam. This hundred-year old now-defunct dam was put in to provide an additional surface water resource for people in Troy. As of late the area had been abused as a dumping ground and the dam had not been used for water retention for decades.

These factors and the increasing presence of wild steelhead in the watershed came to the attention of hydrologists, biologists, the Latah Soil & Water Conservation District, the Bonneville Power Administration, the City of Troy, and others and a wonderful ecological restoration project and experiment emerged.

Dam Removal is contentious. It smells like the liberal environmental agenda to many and it smells like the doom of the Army Corps of Engineers to the feds. Both of these perspectives have relevance and grounds for concern, however, the physical reality is complex and multi-faceted. In the case of this small dam on a non-navigable waterway the project was a no-brainer. Remove a big chunk of concrete that currently serves no good purpose and restore 7 miles of spawning habitat for threatened Snake River Steelhead, an amazing long-distant migrant that unlike salmon, makes the journey to the Pacific multiple times during its life.

Watch this excellent educational video about the project and the removal process.

Our group of summer stewards met with the Latah Soil and Water Conservation District at the dam site to learn about the process and to contribute to the ongoing restoration effort of this watershed. We learned A LOT!

First, we learned where this small stream fits into the bigger picture: West Fork Little Bear Creek > Little Bear Creek > Big Bear Creek > Potlatch River > Clearwater River > Snake River > Columbia River > the PACIFIC OCEAN.  Wow, what a journey!

We learned that like re-modeling homes, restoring (altering/changing) an ecosystem is complex and requires humility. In addition to the removal of the big slab of concrete, the stream channel needed to be re-dug. Much sooner than expected, the diggers hit bedrock, which forced them to focus on a shorter stretch of stream than initially planned. The very next season after the excavation, precipitation exceeded the average and the stream flooded, carving out its own pathway and moving debris and sediment. In the case of this project the engineers foresaw this possibility and constrained their channeling efforts to the main creek stem.

The good Lord created watersheds to find their own way, to make their own channels, to expand and contract over time.  This necessitates a broad and gently sloped floodplain (built in flood control) which the engineers thoughtfully constructed. For this reason many streams and rivers in the Western U.S. and elsewhere are called “braided” systems.

Our work consisted of identifying native and non-native forbs (non-woody and non-grass plants), removing the non-natives, and pressing them into our plant press. We observed oxeye daisy, blanket flower, yarrow, a variety of clover species, Oregon sunflower, and Lewis’ flax. We then planted the floodplain with Missouri Goldenrod and Serviceberry to provide food for wildlife and more soil stability. We also learned about willow weaves, a technique for reducing stream bank erosion.

Thanks Latah Soil & Water Conservation District for a fantastic learning experience!!!

For more information on this Watershed and on Watershed Ecology in general, check-out last year’s Little Bear Field Trip Learning Reinforcement.

 

Goldenrod & Serviceberry
Groups involved
Before removal pictures
Planting Serviceberry
Shaping the well
A new creek
Learning the ecosystem

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Article by William Boyd / Activities, Ecology, Outdoors, Stewardship

This Morning in Creation

A short, periodic audio exploration of the richness of Creation, usually just a few blocks or miles from the … Continue Reading

Recent Posts

  • Current Projects
  • Blessing of the Dolphins
  • Iconography and the Woke Multiverse
  • This Morning in Creation
  • Design in the Science Classroom

Instagram

Amazing St. Paddy's Day feast by the Irish beauty, Mrs. Boyd. And a birthday apple pie from my sweet mother-in-law. I am blessed.
What a season! The Moscow Mechanics placed 5th out of 20 at the Idaho FTC Championship in Meridian this past weekend. And we had the high score of the first 6 rounds with our good friends A2Z Robotics. And we were the first pick for the elimination rounds and so competed in the semifinals. I am super proud of this young, hard-working, fun, and competitive bunch! #ftc18552 #moscowmechanics #FIRSTIdaho #firstinspires #Robotics #STEM #homeschoolscience
Semifinals, tied at 1:1!! Third match on deck!
Moscow Mechanics #18552!!! After 3 rounds. #FIRSTTechChallenge #moscowmechanics
Opening ceremonies!
Let's go Moscow Mechanics!

PO Box 8605
Moscow, ID 83843
(208) 301-4737

The Homeschool Institute of Science, Inc. is a registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

Copyright © 2023 · Homeschool Institute of Science on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.