Project Highlights

The Two Mile Meadow Stream and Wetland Restoration Project is located on the East Fork of the Potlatch River. In the early decades of the 20th century several tributaries in the Potlatch River were diverted from their historic channels to accommodate logging and associated railroad construction. Through Two Mile Meadow, the flow of the East Fork of the Potlatch River was moved from its sinuous channel through the meadow floodplain into a ditch along the southeast edge of the meadow, at the bottom of the timbered slope. On the northwest edge of the meadow the railroad berm prevented the hillslope runoff from reaching most of the floodplain. 

The purpose of this Project is to restore meadow hydrology to a state that supports healthy native meadow and riparian conditions and habitat for fish and wildlife.

Installed in 1913, a 200-foot long concrete box culvert was placed within a 67-foot high embankment to support a main rail line used to transport logs and lumber. The smooth surface and length of the run through the culvert created a velocity barrier and blocked passage for migrating fish. As a consequence, the upper 75 percent of the watershed, approximately 15 miles of 4th order stream habitat was not accessible to Steelhead for spawning and rearing. In 2007 the culvert and fill were removed and revegetation efforts began. In August 2008, the first year following removal of the passage barrier, juvenile Steelhead were detected during fish surveys in Smith Meadows, several miles upstream of the former barrier. Learn more here.

Maynard Fosberg was a Palouse Prairie restoration pioneer who has helped us all learn more about prairie restoration techniques and methods. He restored 5 acres of former pasture to native Palouse Prairie vegetation. The pasture that was once dominated by smooth brome now supports a diverse stand of native grasses and wildflowers which makes it a haven for pollinators and other wildlife. Latah SWCD was lucky to partner with Fosberg, and continue his work.

Dutch Flat Dam was built in 1919 to create a municipal reservoir, by 1925 it had filled with sediment and was abandoned by the city of Troy. Steelhead were observed trying to jump the dam in 2011. By removing the dam wild steelhead gained improved access to approximately seven miles of spawning and rearing habitat in the West Fork of Little Bear Creek and within the larger Potlatch River drainage. In 2015, two radio tagged steelhead were recorded above the old damn site and five redds were observed by Idaho Department of Fish and Game staff. Read the project summary here.