Pack River Delta restoration project to begin

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will soon begin a second phase of wildlife habitat restoration on the Pack River Delta, east of Sandpoint in Bonner County.

An initial restoration project occurred on the Pack River Delta during winter 2009. The upcoming project will rebuild some of the landforms created during the 2009 project and build eight new islands and 10 borrow areas to improve wildlife habitat on the delta.  

Construction for the project will primarily be in the central and southern portion of the Pack River Delta, north of the Burlington Northern Railroad line. A temporary bridge will be installed to span a main channel of the Pack River and provide access to the construction zone.

Contractors will begin staging material Nov. 13 and there may be some minor traffic delays along Highway 200 for a few weeks while contractors are building access from the highway down to the delta floor.

The Pack River Delta is co-managed by the Corps of Engineers and Fish and Game as part of the Pend Oreille Wildlife Management Area. While sportsman can still hunt in the Pack River Delta during construction, hunters are encouraged to be mindful and respectful of workers and heavy equipment in the area. Construction work is anticipated to occur Monday through Friday during daylight hours through the winter and into early spring. 

If you choose to hunt in the delta, please anticipate workers and heavy equipment to be present and active while you are there. To provide added safety to the workers on the project, yellow “Safety Zone” signs will be installed. Please do not shoot toward or within the safety zones. 

Below are a few simple precautions to follow while hunting the delta:

• Abide by all yellow “Safety Zone” signs, and don’t hunt behind or shoot toward them

• Always know the surroundings and what is beyond a shot direction to avoid unintentionally shooting toward workers or heavy equipment

• Stay clear of the bridge crossing

• Consider hunting in some other spots, or perhaps explore a new area

Fish and Game recognizes the timing of construction overlaps with waterfowl and trapping seasons; however, the project will restore and improve delta habitat by stabilizing banks, creating emergent benches and islands and planting vegetation aimed at protecting and improving wildlife habitat, hunting and fishing opportunities into the future. 

Planning your trip

North Idaho is full of incredibly diverse hunting and fishing opportunities. If the Pack River Delta construction impacts plans, check out the Idaho Fishing Planner at idfg.idaho.gov and Idaho Hunt Planner at fishandgame.idaho.gov to get ideas for and plan the next outing. Both planners are great tools for sportsmen.

A guide to Fish and Game’s fishing and boating access sites is also available online at idfg.idaho.gov/access. 

For information/questions, contact the Panhandle Regional office at 208-769-1414.

• • •

T.J. Ross is a regional communications manager with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.