RIPARIAN RECOVERY ~ Lake Creek, Central Idaho 1993 - 2009

In early September 1993 three friends visited Lake Creek in the watershed of the East Fork of the Salmon River in central Idaho.

We observed severely damaged riparian conditions caused by cattle permitted to graze by the Challis National Forest and the Challis Field Office of the BLM. Looking at the map we noticed that one-mile of this damaged area on Lake Creek was located on a 640-acre section of Idaho State school endowment land.

Idaho Watersheds Project was created shortly after that experience to apply for and competitively bid for that very same grazing lease. After six years of legal fights and a number of court decisions, all won by IWP, the grazing lease was awarded to IWP in 1999. Thanks to long-time WWP members Bob and Barbara Dargatz, WWP has held the lease ever since.

These photographs taken in 1993 and 2007 show the dramatic and remarkable improvements since 1993 to the damaged riparian area on Lake Creek that resulted simply by removing livestock.

This passive restoration of Lake Creek has recovered stream health, water quality and wildlife and fisheries habitat at little cost.

These photographs illustrate Western Watersheds Project's vision for riparian areas across the West.