Kootenai River Restoration

The Kootenai River Habitat Restoration Program (KRHRP) is an ecosystem-based restoration effort spanning 55-miles of the Kootenai River in northern Idaho. In 2009, a Master Plan was completed outlining a comprehensive framework for undertaking large-scale habitat restoration to address reach-scale limiting factors related to geomorphology, vegetation, and aquatic habitat. The KRHRP embraces a holistic approach to restoration for addressing the decline of Kootenai River white sturgeon (acipenser transmontanus) caused by Libby Dam operations and a century of land use. Restoration actions being implemented include side channel enhancement, island/floodplain creation, bank restoration and pool creation. The desired result of the combined projects is a more resilient ecosystem capable of sustaining diverse native plant and animal populations and is tolerant of natural disturbances and altered regimes. SWCA staff have performed planning, design, hydraulic modeling, bid document preparation, construction oversight, and monitoring for 12 projects implemented between 2011 and 2023. The Kootenai Tribe is implementing the KRHRP with funding provided by Bonneville Power Administration under the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program.