JACKSON, Wyo. — “Strengthening the Snake”, a collaborative project located on the Lower Snake River Ranch approximately 9 miles south of Wilson, has officially begun construction to improve native trout habitat and river bank stability.
Eroded high banks with lack of riparian vegetation were assessed along the Snake River prior to construction. Photo: Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited (TU), the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), Teton Conservation District (TCD) and the Snake River Ranch are teaming up to stabilize approximately 1,000 feet of heavily eroding bank along the Snake River mainstem and another 800 feet along one of its side channels, according to TU press release.
According to TU, the Snake River’s fluctuating flows range from 280 cfs up to 30,000 cfs in a single season and this combined with human-driven changes, results in riverbank erosion, land loss and degraded habitat for native Snake River cutthroat trout.
Project partners will oversee the creation of riparian buffers, utilizing a combination of vegetation brush, logs with rootwads and willows, in order to enhance fish habitat and stabilize eroding banks. Innovative bioengineered bank stabilizing techniques will allow for new and mature vegetation growth, create good habitat for fresh-water macro-invertebrates and the large wood habitat structures will be installed in multiple locations to block flows so fish can seek refuge, according WGFD Aquatic Habitat Biologist Holden Reinert.
“The brush bank structures will create habitat complexity for trout and allow for the river’s energy to be absorbed by the bank. Increasing floodplain roughness will promote natural processes that trap seeds, retain moisture and promote the natural recruitment of riparian vegetation,” Reinert said.
TU projects that Snake River cutthroat trout populations will benefit by improving holding, cover and juvenile rearing habitat. Reducing stream bank erosion will also help maintain grazing for Snake River Ranch cattle.
“Over the years, the ranch has been gradually losing acres of land along this section of the Snake River,” Turner Resor of Snake River Ranch said. “Partnering with Trout Unlimited has allowed the ranch to implement a solution to a problem that may have otherwise gone unaddressed given the project’s cost and scope. While our initial interest in the project relates to the land side of the equation, we are also happy to see a design that will be a benefit to the Snake River fishery.”
“This project is a win-win for agriculture and natural resources, and a good fit for support from multiple partners,” Water Resources Specialist for Teton Conservation District David Lee said. “The Lower Snake River Ranch is well-suited to use natural bioengineering techniques that stabilize banks and allow floodplain inundation, and this project will serve as an example of the benefits of these techniques going forward.”
According to project partners, construction is slated for completion by the end of 2023.
