Major fish passage project to begin in Big Creek

The barrier removal and stream restoration work is expected to restore migratory stream habitat in the Big Creek watershed for westslope cutthroat trout and other native fish, a press release said.

In 2022, the Restoration Partnership awarded funding to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe to work with Sunshine Mine/Silver Opportunities to remove barriers to fish passage on Big Creek in Kellogg. The restoration work is sponsored by the Tribe partnering with the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, HMH Engineering and Sunshine Mine/Silver Opportunities.

The Restoration Partnership is comprised of the Coeur d’Alene Basin Natural Resource Trustees, which are the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Coeur d’Alene Tribe and state of Idaho. 

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and Clean Water Act identify federal, tribal and state governments as trustees over natural resources on behalf of the public. The role of the trustees is to return natural resources that have been impacted by mine-waste contamination toward a healthy condition.

"The collaborative work of all entities involved in the Partnership will continues to play a critical role in restoring natural resource habitats that were impacted due to historic mine waste in the Coeur d’Alene Basin," the release said.

Work is anticipated to be wrapped up by early winter.