The Lower Priest River winds 45 miles connecting Priest Lake to the Pend Oreille River. It was a very important waterway for the local native tribes for fishing, hunting and gathering. The near eradication of beaver throughout the region probably changed the face of the Priest basin which was likely to have been historically rich in wetland habitats. The impacts of extensive logging including log drives, splash dams, removal of large wood, and many roads and exposed slopes contributing sediment into the river.
Outlet dam was built in the 1950s creating a barrier to fish migration most of the year, altering the natural flow regime and contributing to the disconnect from the floodplain. All of these impacts and more have left the Priest River with low flows and extremely high temperatures in the summertime with no refuge for fish on the main stem. Bull trout still navigate this very altered river, but the increasingly challenging conditions are making their survival unlikely.
Project
- Collaboration
- Restoration
- Reconnection
Partners
- Priest River Watershed Group members
Focus
- Fish Passage
- Temperature
Trout Unlimited convened the Priest River Watershed Group at the beginning of 2023 to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders interested in improving the condition of the Lower Priest River.
This group is currently made up of 12 stakeholder groups and incorporates support from many local, state and federal agencies and the Kalispel Tribe to help build a restoration plan for the whole Lower River. This plan will offer prioritized projects throughout the Lower Priest River and tributaries that will aim to lower summertime water temperatures, improve flows, improve connectivity and habitat of the river while also supporting the health of the whole basin. To learn more about the Priest River Watershed Group please visit www.priestriverwg.org.
