Many locals know that Clark’s Barn. What are (0:12) we calling this project as we rebuild the Salt River there? It’s called the Salt (0:17) River Clark’s Barn Fish Passage and Restoration Project. What are you doing (0:21) there? I saw trucks, I saw logs, I saw just an extensive rebuilding of (0:27) the river for fisheries.

Tell us about that. Yeah, we’re restoring about one mile (0:32) of the Salt River there at the first mile of the access easement there. So we have (0:37) the Clark’s Barn fishing access connected to the upper burdens and lower (0:41) burdens for about three miles total.

Essentially what we’re doing is (0:46) addressing some of the issues that started a very long time ago when (0:51) extensive willow removal happened along the majority of the Salt River. So on (0:57) this mile stretch there’s not a single willow touching the river anymore and (1:02) the river is eroded and gotten wider and wider so it’s very shallow, wide, and (1:08) sediment laden. There’s very little cover for trout.

It’s also allowing a lot more (1:13) sunlight and heat exchange with the air so warming up the water. And we’re coming (1:18) in and narrowing the river back up by importing a lot of fill material. We’re (1:22) also stabilizing outside banks using large logs with root wads and then (1:28) planting a lot of willows and other riparian vegetation to restore that bank (1:33) stability and improve trout habitat and cover and shade throughout the reach.

(1:38) This is all well researched when you rebuild something like this. You get help (1:42) along the way with contributions. For example, you mentioned Simplot providing (1:46) the logs and so forth for reconstruction of the river, building up the banks, and (1:50) making the waterways more conducive to the fishery.

Yeah, we have a lot of (1:55) partners in these projects. So the initial seed funding to get the designs (2:00) done came through the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and then once we had (2:03) those designs we applied for a lot of grant funding to fund the actual (2:09) construction of the project. So our partners there include Wyoming Wildlife (2:13) Natural Resource Trust, Jackson Hole OneFly, Wyoming Department of (2:20) Environmental Quality, Trout and Salmon Foundation, the Star Valley Chapter of (2:25) Trout Unlimited, the Jackson Hole Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

I’m sure I’m (2:29) forgetting somebody but hopefully not. But it takes a lot is what you’re saying (2:34) to put something like this together. Oh yeah, it takes a lot.

And then Simplot (2:38) donated all the trees and root wads that we’re using on the banks. Yeah, we’ve got (2:45) two different local contractors working on the project providing materials and (2:50) building fence and then we have another nearby contractor from Idaho doing a lot (2:56) of the construction on the bank work and rebuilding the diversion. That was another (3:00) part of the project I forgot to mention.

So you know we have two extremely just (3:08) thoughtful landowners who really care about improving the river and the (3:12) resource and also reducing land loss and getting some of that land back here. (3:17) But we also have some irrigators there on the diversion who are excited to get (3:23) that diversion replaced and currently they have to go in the river and put in (3:27) logs and planks and tarps to get enough water into the ditch just because the (3:34) diversion isn’t constructed in a way where they can just turn the head gate (3:39) to get enough flow. So we’ll be rebuilding that diversion so that they (3:43) can just go out there and not have to get in the river and get as much water (3:47) as they need into the ditch.

And also what that will allow for is better fish (3:50) passage. So in the summer months Clark’s Barn is one of the coldest if not (3:55) probably the coldest stretch of the Salt River. So fish really try to move upstream (3:59) into there to seek out that thermal refuge when the water temps get warm.

(4:04) And when we have those planks across the river it prevents the fish from getting (4:07) up there. So it’s a win for the fish and should be a win for the irrigators as (4:11) well. And when will all of this be done? It should all be done by September 15th.

(4:16) So that’s the start of our brown trout spawning closure in the Salt River. They (4:21) might continue some work outside of the water after that date. And in a brief (4:25) summary statement you’ll accomplish what with this project? Improving about one (4:30) mile of trout habitat on the Salt River, reducing bank erosion, and improving fish (4:36) passage to the upstream tributaries in Salt River.

And it’s all called what? The (4:40) project is called what? The Salt River Clark’s Barn Fish Passage and Restoration (4:44) Project. Hopefully that’s the same thing I said a few minutes ago. Alrighty, Dan or (4:48) Belknap.

Star Valley Trout Unlimited, Dan Dockstead, reporting from the banks of (4:52) the Salt River in Star Valley.