BOISE, Idaho — After collaborating to identify and mark brown trout redds in the Boise River during 2021-2022 winter maintenance work, the Boise River Flood Control District #10 announced it was honored by the Boise Valley Fly Fishers and Idaho Fish & Game with a Certificate of Appreciation Plaque.
The groups worked together on the conservation project to avoid the trout nests during the winter maintenance work.
Volunteers with the Boise Valley Fly Fishers (BVFF) club identified and digitally marked the brown trout redds using GPS units.
According to a news release, BVFF volunteers marked around 200 nests across 16 miles of the Boise River from Willow Park Lane in Boise to Star. Brown trout spawn in the fall.
Flood Control District manager Mike Dimmick and BVFF Conservation Director Troy Pearse worked with winter maintenance contractors to ensure they were aware of the locations of the marked redds in areas where work was planned.
During the winter, Flood Control District #10 removes trees and debris deemed hazardous to avoid flooding during high water and spring runoff. According to a news release, the maintenance work also reduces damage to the Boise River corridor.
“We are here to thank you,” Pearse said. “We felt it was a successful project because they missed 99 percent of the redds by knowing where they were. Flood #10’s contractors were super conscientious, and they bent over backwards to make sure they didn’t harm the redds while doing winter maintenance work. It was a real win-win to avoid the redds, it didn’t cost any additional money. It’s been a great partnership."
After nearly all the brown trout redds were avoided during winter maintenance work, Idaho Fish & Game Southwest regional fishery manager Art Butts also applauded the conservation project.
“There are a lot of stakeholders who use the Boise River,” Butts said. “Fish and wildlife are very important to them … We really appreciate the partnership with Flood #10 and the Boise River Fly Fishers. We’ve come a long ways in the last 10 years when it comes to managing the Boise River in a sustainable way.”
The winter maintenance work by Flood Control District #10 is approved by permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Idaho Department of Water Resources and a Memorandum of Understanding from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
