2001-2002
Bear Valley Project
The high mountain meadows and even higher peaks that frame Bear Valley Creek provide prime habitat for many wildlife species. Elk have used the meadows as pasture for centuries;
wolves have been successfully reintroduced to the area; westslope cutthroat trout, native to the valley, thrive here; and endangered Snake River sockeye and chinook salmon still spawn in the creek's gravel beds after running the hydropower gauntlet from the Pacific Ocean.
It wasn't always this way. Surface mining for minerals needed in nuclear reactors severely disturbed the upper valley. Over 5,000 domestic sheep, brought by settlers in the late 1800s, used to graze Bear Valley's meadows. At the turn of the century cattle were introduced, their numbers peaking in 1971. Livestock trampled area stream banks, ate riparian vegetation and muddied up the water.
Fortunately, in 1993 the Forest Service launched a livestock management and riparian 
restoration program to reduce the number of livestock in the valley and allow its streams to recover. Efforts by the Boise National Forest Service, TU's Ted Trueblood Chapter, the Shoshone and Bannock Tribes and the Boise Valley Fly Fishers have restored the gravel beds. The partners have fenced banks to prevent erosion and planted willows and bushes for stabilization and shade.
The river's native trout are also getting attention. In 2000, the Ted Trueblood Chapter received a TU Embrace-A-Stream (EAS) grant to assist the Boise National Forest and Idaho Department of Fish and Game in tagging westslope cutthroat trout and studying their migration patterns. The data will be used to restore the fish to more of its native range. Using a second EAS grant, the chapter plans to complete the study this winter.
During the middle of this year's salmon run over 20,000 members of the counter-culture Rainbow Family used the valley for their annual gathering. Local residents, Idaho Trout Unlimited members and Forest Service officials were concerned about the impact of the gathering on the high mountain meadows and the creek and its tributaries. Fortunately, the Family attempted to address these concerns, erecting fences along banks in especially sensitive areas and discouraging camping in riparian habitat.
Questions or comments send to:BoiseTrout@aol.com
Ted Trueblood Chapter Idaho Trout Umlimited
