Palouse River Basin

The Palouse River Subbasin is located in northern Idaho and eastern Washington in what is known as the Palouse Bioregion. The Palouse is characterized by highly productive loess soils of Pleistocene origin that were deposited by southwesterly winds making up the topography characteristic of this region. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in cooperation with local stakeholders have developed the Palouse River Tributaries Total Maximum Daily Load in order to assess the water quality in tributaries that feed the main stem Palouse River in Idaho. PCEI restoration projects are part of the Palouse River Tributaries Implementation Plan that was designed as a result of the TMDL assessment to help reduce pollutants loads in the watershed. PCEI is working with private landowners in the watershed to re-slope and stabilize eroding banks, install riparian fencing and create wetlands to help filter overland flows

Snake River Basins

The Columbia River is the largest river in North America that empties into the Pacific Ocean, and is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America.  The river begins in the Canadian province of British Columbia, and flows northwest, then south into the state of Washington.  It then turns west, forming most of the border between the states of Washington and Oregon, before emptying into the Pacific Ocean.  The river’s length measures at 1,243 miles, and its drainage basin is roughly the size of France, reaching into seven U.S. states and a Canadian province.

The Snake River is a major river of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.  It is 1,078 miles long, and is the largest tributary to the Columbia River. The Snake River begins in western Wyoming, and flows through the Snake River Plain of southern Idaho, then through the Hell’s Canyon region of northeastern Oregon, as well as the Palouse Hills and on to the river’s mouth in the Washington Tri-Cities area, where it drains into the Columbia River.

Clearwater River Basin

The Clearwater River in North Central Idaho derives its name from the Niimiipuutímt (Nez Perce) term for “clear water.” It runs westward from the Bitterroot Mountains along the Montana/Idaho border until it joins the Snake River in Lewiston, ID.

ATV Trail Decommissioning

Clearwater National Forest (2013 – 2016)
Making unofficial and destructive ATV trails disappear in the Clearwater National Forest.

Bennett Paradise Creek Habitat Restoration

(2008 – 2010) – Removed debris and re-sloped bank. Planted over 1200 native trees, shrubs, grasses, and forbs during two planting seasons (2009 and 2010).

Deep Creek Riparian Restoration Project

(2006 – 2009) – Stabilization and revegetation of 1070 feet of creek to reduce in-stream erosion. Re-sloped and installed erosion control fabric. Riparian buffer was planted with native woody, herbaceous, and grass species. Two wetlands were created to help filter overland water flows.

Flannigan Creek
Restoration Project

(2007 – 2010) – Stabilized stream banks with erosion control fabric and revetment materials. Restored the natural riparian area plant community. Enhanced and created wetland filter ponds and swales. This project involved community members, students, and volunteers.

Fountain Project

(2009 – 2013) – Stabilization and revegetation of 1670 feet of unstable bank and berm removal. Hydroseeded banks with native riparian species. Planting was accomplished with the help of local community volunteers.

Green IT Alliance Wetland Enhancement Project

(2008 – 2010) – Installed solar-powered kiosk with computer. Created web pages to educate visiting students and inform community members and business neighbors about alternative and ecologically beneficial storm water management practices.

Kirtner and Rylaarsdam Projects, South Fork Clearwater River Watershed Riparian Restoration

(2006 – 2010) – Re-sloping and stabilization of unstable banks, installed erosion control fabric and rock toes as necessary. Seeded native grasses and planted native riparian species.

Lindsay Creek Riparian Animal Management Project

(2007 – 2012) – Four separate projects were within the Lindsay Creek project in Lewiston, Idaho (Walton, Cowger, Nielson, and Canyon Crest). These projects focused on bank stabilization and resloping, planting native species, weeding and re-seeding, installing irrigation, installing filter strips, and installing riparian fencing.

Otness Park

Moscow, Idaho (2014) – Revegetation and stabilization of stream banks in Otness Park.

Partridge Creek Clean Water Education and Restoration

(2008 – 2010) – Improving water quality and lowering creek temperature to comply with the Drinking Water Protection Plan regulations near Elk River, Idaho.

Potlatch Meadow Project

Clearwater National Forest (2015) – Planted 1700 native plants (including black hawthorn, serviceberry, white pine, ponderosa pine, and snowberry) in a week in a cow-trodden meadow in the Clearwater National Forest. Created exclosures to keep cows away from the young plants. Decompacted soil to allow revegetation of native plants.

Rabbit Hill Preserve Wetland Enhancement Project

(2010) – Excavated a wetland cell to impound additional runoff. 50 plants were planted on the site, and the site was seeded with native grasses.

Rural Road Inventory

Clearwater National Forest (2014 – 2015) – Surveyed old Forest Service roads to determine whether or not formal work needed to be done to return the watershed to its original state.

South Fork Clearwater River

Grangeville, Idaho (2014) – Restoration of four stream sites in Grangeville, Idaho, to help mitigate Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) issues.

Spalding’s Catchfly Collection and Propagation Project

Colton, Washington (2007 – 2010) – Seeds for this rare plant were collected near Colton, WA, in the Kramer Prairie, a Palouse Prairie remnant. Different propagation methods were researched. This project was completed in collaboration with Washington State University.