No, I don't think we will ever eliminate the cattle on the range. The same can be said of the damage ATV crossings do. I don't think we should or need to eliminate any of those activities. There are ways that the problems caused by the stock or ATVs can be prevented, and different uses of the land and water can coexist peacefully.
Many of the creeks in southeast Idaho are being fenced and restored. On Pebble the new lower area they restored is being fenced. Much of the upper Portneuf has been fenced for years. It takes money, cooperative individuals, and lots of volunteers.
Bancroft High School bused their students to Pebble Cr to help with the project. The kids moved tons of crossbucks and rails for the new fence into where it will be used. Southeast Idaho Fly Fishers have built most of the wood fencing in this area. They have also worked on the new "Oregon Trail' Access area and Topaz area restoration. (Those are down on the river below Lava.) It is volunteers that make these projects work. Anytime a grant is involved there is a need for local matching funds. Those funds are usually supplied by counting the hours that volunteers work and theoretically "paying" them on paper. Volunteer work is where most of our matching funds come from in.
Lane Creek is another area that the cattle are being fenced off of the creek. Then on Diamond Cr another irrigation diversion is having a fish passage put in. The canals are also being screened. It all takes time, but the more that is done with the object to help both the farmers and the creeks, the more we get access and cooperation to improve other areas.
If you want to see what this project is about see...
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]The Blackfoot Home Rivers Initiative Project-2012[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"]a[/font][/size]t:
http://news.idahotrout.org/
Someday maybe all of Pebble Cr will have the cattle fenced off. Meantime range managers need to watch that things don't get over grazed.
Unfortunately the Portneuf itself suffers from the upper part that was made into a canal for water from Chesterfield. That canal runs from Chesterfield to about the Kelly-Toponce Road. Massive amounts of silt come down out of that area and fill the Portneuf, so any off river spawning areas that can be improved such as Pebble Cr are desperately needed.
Sorry this turned out so long. I got a little sidetracked! [shocked] [blush]
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