SUBLETTE COUNTY, Wyo. — The River Bend Ranch Restoration and Fish Passage Project’s second phase is now underway to restore 2.5 miles of the Hoback River corridor and improve conditions for native Snake River Cutthroat Trout.
According to Trout Unlimited’s (TU) announcement, the project area is located on the upper Hoback River on a mixture of private agricultural lands, a Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) elk feed ground and Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) lands. This scenic passageway is one of the most degraded sections of the Hoback River.
The Hoback River, a major tributary of the Snake River, impacts riparian health and trout populations throughout the entire hydrologic system. The goal of this collaborative project between Jackson Hole TU, the WGFD, BTNF and the Ricketts Conservation Foundation, is to improve fish habitat, fish passage, stream stability and agricultural operations.
Bioengineered bank stabilization structures utilizing brush, logs and trees with rootwads improve habitat and connectivity for all life stages of Snake River Cutthroat Trout, and provide channel stability throughout the floodplain, per the TU press release.
“In addition to bioengineered bank stabilization treatments, riparian exclosures are being installed to allow willows and cottonwoods to grow above the browse height of elk and deer,” WGFD Jackson Aquatic Habitat Biologist Holden Reinert said. “Fostering a healthy riparian area will promote self-sustaining habitats that benefit both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.”
Phase one of the project was completed in 2019 with the installation of a new rock diversion to improve fish passage and water delivery for irrigation. This second phase of the project is estimated for completion by the end of November.
“The Upper Hoback River is a crown jewel of streams flowing out of the Wyoming Range,” Bridger-Teton National Forest Wild and Scenic River Manager David Cernicek said. “Collaborative stream bank projects, where all landowners contribute, are critical to the health and stability of the entire Snake River Headwaters.”
The River Bend Ranch Restoration and Fish Passage Project is part of TU’s Snake River Headwaters Initiative, to restore and protect the headwaters of the Snake River and its fishery. The project includes funding from a $40 million national partnership between Trout Unlimited and the U.S. Forest Service, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.
