Habitat Project

Russell Springs Creek Restoration

Russell Springs Creek provides valuable habitat for steelhead and spring Chinook in the Tucannon Basin. Historically a road culvert blocked adult salmonids from accessing much of the stream. The stream channel had been artificially straightened over time and had suffered riparian degradation from over-grazing. In an effort to keep telephone wires free from vegetation, the Rural Electric Association inadvertently felled several trees across the active channel of Russell Springs. The felled trees diverted water from the active channel of Russell Springs Creek into a new distributary side-channel which flowed prematurely to the Tucannon River. Reduced discharge in the primary channel of Russell Springs Creek facilitated the encroachment of Reed Canary Grass into the primary channel, reducing available salmonid habitat. In cooperation with WDFW, CTUIR rectified degraded salmonid habitat in 2009 and 2010.