Wednesday July 12, 2023
Idaho Fish and Game —
Steelhead parr density data collected during snorkel surveys help fisheries and other resource managers make informed decisions to enhance their survival with habitat improvement projects.
The Potlatch River is located in northwestern Idaho. Its seasonal flows can range from a trickle in some reaches during the summer to a raging torrent in the spring.
This river contains adult and juvenile steelhead trout. Adults enter the Potlatch to spawn during late winter and early spring. They will either die or move out soon after. Their young will remain to rear in the Potlatch and its tributaries.
Idaho Fish and Game, private land owners, and other cooperators are improving steelhead trout habitat. One method involves introducing large woody debris into the stream channel to increase habitat complexity. The wood provides cover for the fish. It also helps recharge the floodplain. These treatments should generate a fish response that can be detected with appropriate monitoring.