2008 Projects

The CSI is a descriptive and mapping tool designed to assess the historic and current population and distribution of all salmon and trout species in the United States and develop a methodology to track changes in status and inform management of necessary restoration strategies over the next 30 years.  The CSI also serves as the framework for TU to analyze future threats such as climate change and oil and gas development on public lands. 

I. Protect

Alaska
The goal of the Alaska Program is to preserve, protect and restore wild salmon and trout populations throughout Alaska.  The program focuses on three areas: habitat protection; habitat restoration; and engaging in the US-Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty.

Pacific Salmon Conservation
For legal and scientific analysis and advocacy to protect and restore Pacific salmon throughout their native North American range.

Public Lands Initiative
The Public Lands Initiative presents scientific information and engages anglers and hunters to protect fish and wildlife habitat on public lands.  The initiative has three primary focus areas: 1) protecting roadless and wilderness areas; 2) ensuring that oil, gas and coal bed methane development in the interior West does not harm fish and wildlife populations; and 3) improving the management of off-road vehicles on public lands to reduce impacts to fish and wildlife.

II. Reconnect

The Eastern Water Project
To protect and restore instream flows throughout the East and Midwest through state water policy reform and on-the-ground restoration projects.  New England and New York are the focus areas for 2007-08.

The Western Water Project
To protect and restore streamflows in the Western US through reforming state-based law and policy, creating new financial and policy incentives for instream flows, and implementing on-the-ground restoration projects.  Focus states are Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and California.  California is detailed in a separate section below.

The California Water Project
To protect and restore California’s rivers and streams, with a focus on those that are not part of the giant plumbing system of the state and federal water projects.

III. Restore

Boise River (ID) Watershed Restoration Project
To restore the Boise River watershed in Idaho, which suffers from a legacy of pollution from hardrock mining.

Driftless Area Restoration
Major restoration initiative to strategically link stream corridor restoration with upland agricultural conservation and land protection efforts in the unglaciated spring-creeks region of southwest Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa, and northwest Illinois.

Great Lakes Coaster Brook Trout Restoration
TU is continuing support for efforts to restore lake-run brook trout (“coasters”) in Lake Superior tributaries in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin through habitat restoration, reintroduction, and monitoring.  

Middle Clark Fork River (MT) Watershed Project
To conserve native bull trout and westslope cutthroat populations on the Middle Clark Fork River through habitat restoration, land acquisition, improving flow regimes, and long-term planning and stakeholder involvement.

Missouri River Headwaters (MT) Project
For research and assessment, restoration, and community outreach to help restore the Jefferson, Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers in Montana.  Specific activities include working to improve irrigation efficiency and instream flows, restoring mainstem and tributary habitats, and improving dam operations.

North Coast (CA) Coho Project
For continued support of a cooperative project with private landowners to restore and scientifically monitor entire watersheds in Northern California for coho salmon and steelhead.  Activities in 2007 included habitat assessment, restoration and/or monitoring work in Standley Creek and Hollow Tree Creek (Eel River), Cottoneva Creek, Ten Mile River, Pudding Creek Noyo River, Big River, Garcia River, Gualala River Dry Creek and Austin Creek (Russian River) watersheds.

Northeast Stream Restoration Partnership
A cooperative project with the National Park Service’s Wild and Scenic Rivers Program to restore important stream habitats in the Northeastern US, and to build community awareness of and support for sustainable management of rivers, their instream habitat, and floodplains.

Potomac Headwaters Restoration Project (WV)
To protect and restore wild trout streams in the headwaters of the Potomac River, starting with South Branch of the Potomac in West Virginia.

Snake River (CO) Mine Remediation Project
To restore the Snake River in Colorado, which suffers from a legacy of pollution from hardrock mining in its headwaters.

South Fork of the Snake River (ID) Watershed Project
To conserve the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout fishery on Idaho’s South Fork of the Snake River through habitat restoration, research and assessment, improving flow regimes and fishery management, and long-term conservation planning.

Strategies for Restoring Native Inland Trout (NV)
For research and restoration of native Lahontan cutthroat trout in Maggie Creek and Willow Creek in northeastern Nevada.  These projects improve or expand existing aquatic habitat and provide data for evaluating, planning, and implementing large-scale restoration efforts throughout the region.

Upper Bear River (ID/WY/UT) Restoration Project
To reestablish critical Bonneville cutthroat trout migration corridors between the Bear River and its tributaries, repair degraded riparian and aquatic habitats, and reduce sediment and nutrient inputs into the Bear River system.

Upper Connecticut River (VT, NH) Restoration
To restore self-sustaining populations of brook trout and their habitats in the upper Connecticut River watershed, including Nash Stream.

Upper Delaware (NY) Conservation Project
A cooperative project to identify, protect and restore key areas in the Upper Delaware watershed.

West Branch Susquehanna (PA) Restoration Initiative
Two-part project that includes 1) continuation of restoration work in lower Kettle Creek through abandoned mine drainage abatement projects, and 2) advancing the overall restoration of coldwater resources impacted by abandoned mine drainage in the West Branch Susquehanna watershed through five main programmatic focus areas.