Left: Salmon River above Pole Creek. Right: Pole Creek, when it joins the Salmon, contributes significant flow to the River.

Pole Creek, a major tributary of the Salmon River, is home to many species of fish, including ESA-listed Snake River spring chinook. Where Pole Creek joins the Salmon, it contributes the majority of flows in the river. In 2015, the Custer Soil and Water Conservation District and numerous partners completed a multi-year project to add another 17 cubic feet per second of flow to this important tributary.


Fencing projects around the creek

They replaced a hydro-powered irrigation pump with deisel, replaced 7 irrigation diversion and added screens to keep fish out of irrigation ditches. Irrigation efficiencies introduced at the surrounding farms and ranches returned more water to the stream. They installed fencing to keep cattle out of the stream.



Pump to supplement gravity flow of water

Flow improvements have been demonstrated to benefit fish survival by increasing the available spawning and rearing habitat. Adding cool water to streams helps protect fish against the lower flows and warmer water temperatures expected to come with climate change.