Lake Creek Corridor Protection and Enhancement
Status: In Progress
Location:
The project the upper reaches of Lake Creek, on the Washington/Idaho border. It is located just off the Northern boundary of the CDA Tribe’s reservation. This project will protect the entire 342-acre property, including Tribal restoration work to date on over 9,000 feet of Lake Creek.
Background:
The Lake Creek watershed has been the focus of a comprehensive and long-term management approach since the early 1990s with the singular goal to restore, protect, expand, and reestablish native westslope cutthroat trout populations to sustainable and harvestable levels. The approach includes significant investment in research and monitoring to inform management decisions, validate assumptions associated with the restoration approach and focus and prioritize management actions on the critical ecological and habitat factors limiting the recovery of westslope cutthroat trout. During this timeframe, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe has taken steps to analyze ecosystem processes likely to influence the productivity of fish communities and identify and scale restoration actions to match the geographical distribution of fish populations, including a substantial portion of the spawning and rearing areas utilized by various life stages at different times. The private landowners have participated with the Tribe to restore Lake Creek on their property. Funding from the RP will pay for transaction costs associated with conservation easements.
Restoration Completed:
Funding was awarded in January 2024, project planning is underway.
Benefits:
This conservation easement will ensure long-term preservation of critical natural habitats along Lake Creek, which include wetlands, riparian zones, and forestland. These habitats support diverse wildlife, including fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals, fostering biodiversity and enhancing overall ecosystem health. The riparian restoration project, protected by the easement, can help improve water quality in Lake Creek. Healthy riparian zones act as natural filters, reducing the flow of pollutants into the water, stabilizing stream banks, and mitigating erosion. This, in turn, benefits downstream water quality and aquatic life. Mature trees and natural landscapes on the property contribute to carbon sequestration, helping combat climate change. By protecting these areas from development, the easement supports carbon storage and mitigates greenhouse gas emissions. A conservation easement provides legally binding protection for the Tribe’s riparian restoration project on Lake Creek and ensures that future landowners cannot alter or develop the protected areas, ensuring the long-term success of the restoration efforts. The RP will be funding only the transaction costs to create the conservation easement and the easement itself will be donated by the landowners.
Contact:
Rebecca Stevens
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
424 Sherman Ave., Ste. 306
Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814
p: 208.667.5772
rstevens@cdatribe-nsn.gov
Sponsor:
Partners:
