IRU awarded Conservation Alliance Grant for Wild & Scenic Rivers work & why the South Fork Salmon needs designation

The South Fork of the Salmon River, a paddler’s paradise, needs Wild & Scenic designation. PC: Nick Kunath, IRU Staff

Idaho Rivers United is creating new momentum for Wild & Scenic River protections around the state by defending existing designated river miles and protecting eligible rivers.. Over the years IRU has kept many rivers from degradation and other threats, and now is relentlessly working to add more river miles to the national act list. 

IRU has started working with federal agencies to review Wild & Scenic river management plans and to develop appropriate plans to secure specific targeted areas for further transition of rivers from eligible, to final Wild & Scenic designation. 

The Conservation Alliance agrees with our next steps for Wild & Scenic miles on the Lower Salmon and South Fork Salmon rivers. We are proud to be granted funds from this amazing group that advocates and supports the protection of America’s wild places. This ambitious new campaign will not only ensure that vast stretches of Idaho’s most precious resource are protected in perpetuity, but will also provide long-term benefits to the landscape and its ecosystems. 

Idaho boasts over 100,000 river miles within the state that compose some of the premier whitewater stretches and fisheries in North America that draw annual visitors from far and wide. Some of these stretches have been appropriately recognized and protected through the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA). While there are some very notable contributions to the WSRA found within the state, there are currently just over 890 river miles protected under this legislation within Idaho. 

Created in 1968, the WSRA was passed by Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Rivers protected by this legislation are offered permanent protection from new hydroelectric projects as well as a number of other substantial protections to ensure their condition is maintained for future generations to enjoy and appreciate.

At the signing of the WSRA, eight original sections of the river were listed for protection. In Idaho, that included the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Since the initial signing, the list of protected Idaho river sections has grown, but there are still many sections that have been studied by the Forest Service and have been deemed to be eligible for inclusion but have not been designated as such – a process that would require action by Congress or nomination by the state governor with established state protections already in place. 

With so many miles of Idaho’s rivers left unprotected by the WSRA, there is no shortage of eligible sections that one could make a compelling argument for its inclusion. While IRU would love to see all eligible sections protected under WSRA or other long-term protections, we want to highlight the South Fork Salmon River (SFSR). 

The SFSR has long been known as one of the best, big water wilderness runs in the country and has attracted skilled boaters from around the country. In an article written by Calvin Giddings for the spring 1972 American Whitewater Journal, Giddings remarks, “we feel we have uncovered a superb wilderness kayaking river, not suitable for rafts, not appropriate for commercial trips, and therefore not likely to become overcrowded for some time.”

At the time, Giddings and his crew were in search of a multi-day trip that did not see the same crowds that the Middle Fork and Main Salmon had already begun to attract. Back in 1972, that may have been true, but the SFSR has steadily grown in popularity, particularly among kayakers, and is in need of some additional protections. 

Currently, boaters who descend the SFSR are required to self-register at the put-in or can acquire a permit through the Forest Service. However, Leave No Trace practices and suggested gear to mitigate impacts to the drainage are left without active management to each group to self-regulate and enforce. Since the SFSR enters the Main Salmon within the permitted stretch, the primary stipulation that boaters must adhere to is to exit the river corridor at Vinegar Creek the same day they enter and are not permitted to camp anywhere below the confluence. 

While some boaters may be apprehensive regarding the idea of additional regulations and fear of the SFSR being managed by the same lottery system that plagues many aspirations for a midsummer Middle Fork permit, when you examine the SFSR in comparison to the Middle Fork, it becomes clear that the SFSR is indeed eligible and deserves durable protection that the WSRA can offer without necessarily being entangled by the same lottery system that currently exists for other popular stretches. 

Rivers included in the WSRA are evaluated by the Forest Service on a regional scale comparing the Outstanding Remarkable Values (ORVs) that the river may possess. For the Middle Fork of the Salmon, some ORVs include scenery, fisheries, geology, cultural resources, recreation, and wildlife. In a previous suitability study for the SFSR, the Forest Service identified many similar ORVs that can be found in the Middle Fork which has often been described as the crown jewel of the WSRA. The SFSR’s ORVs have been identified as recreation, cultural, fisheries, botany, scenery, and geology. 

For those who have had the opportunity to descend the SFSR, the recreational values speak for themselves. The rapids are powerful, challenging, and provide boaters with a proving ground of sorts who want to experience a class V multi-day trip. Although much of the river canyon is not within a wilderness boundary, the feeling boaters experience often rivals the wilderness characteristics of the Middle Fork or other wilderness multi-day trips popular within the state. 

When analyzing the fishery of the SFSR, it becomes abundantly clear why this river is eligible and deserving of additional protections. The Forest Service has stated that the SFSR contains some of the most important remaining spawning habitat for spring/summer Chinook salmon. It is estimated that the South Fork drainage once supported over 10,000 spring/summer Chinook salmon in 1950. However, through numerous negative human driven impacts, this count was decimated to only 250 by 1979. In addition to providing critical habitat for spring/summer Chinook salmon, the SFSR supports a wide variety of native fish populations including Westslope Cutthroat, Bull Trout, and steelhead. 

From a cultural perspective, the SFSR offers irreplaceable cultural heritage and present day resources to the Nez Perce people. The Nez Perce have historically occupied lands that now comprise central Idaho, northeastern Oregon, and parts of Western Montana. The SFSR lies within the Tribe's aboriginal territory and is a critical watershed and resource area for treaty-reserved hunting, fishing, and gathering rights as well as cultural resources and ceremonial sites. 

Looking upstream at the East Fork of the South Fork of the Salmon River. PC: John Walhof