Wednesday the 12th marked another milestone for us here at LRLT: the completion of our ninth conservation easement! The conservation easement encompasses a portion of a piece of property owned by Rodger & Jackie Swanson on the Lemhi River near Tendoy, at Mabey Lane. This project is a unique on in our portfolio for a variety of reasons, the most obvious one being that at just six acres, it’s our smallest conservation easement. Our next smallest conservation easement is the Adams Ranch conservation easement at 100 acres.
More importantly, though, this conservation easement is designed to protect a large-scale restoration project we are currently implementing that will restore over 400 feet of riverbank & create a side channel off the Lemhi River. If you’re familiar with the Lemhi Valley, you likely know that Highway 28 runs on top of what was once the railroad tracks from Gilmore to Salmon, but what you may not know is that this played a role changing the path of the Lemhi River. Historically the Lemhi River followed a meandering path, but private property boundaries and the construction of the railroad and then the highway, confined the river in many places, limiting its access to the historic floodplain & side channel habitat. This in turn resulted in limited habitat for Chinook salmon & steelhead spawning & overwintering, which this restoration project will help to recreate. Stay tuned for photos & more info in our fall newsletter!
