The South Fork of the Clearwater River (ID) Needs Your Support!

The state of Idaho just released it's draft Comprehensive StateWater Plan for the South Fork Clearwater River Basin . The Plan will provide protection to ensure that minimum flows are maintained for boating and fisheries, but only if the public gives a wide show of support! We need you to help keep the South Fork Clearwater River and it's tributaries boatable and livable for fish and other wildlife. Act now to ensure that minimum flows are maintained for boating and fisheries. The deadline for written comments is Nov. 20.--IMPORTANT NOTE: The deadline has been extended to Dec 17

The South Fork Clearwater provides class I-IV boating along it's 63.8 mile length. The most familiar sections to whitewater paddlers include the class III-IV Bully Creek to Highway 13 run, also known as the Mickey Mouse run which is not so Mickey Mouse! and the class IV-V Golden Run that is upstream.

WHAT DOES THE PLAN DO?

The Comprehensive Plan for the South Fork Clearwater addresses the conservation, development, management and use of unappropriated water (water not already guaranteed for someone else through a water right) in the basin. It addresses minimum stream flows and protected river designations.

The Idaho Department of Water Resources has recommended to the Water Board in this plan that minimum stream flows be dedicated throughout much of the basin at a level that is good for fish and appropriate for boating. Minimum levels have been established for each month of the year, for example, in May, the flow could not drop below 2,680 cfs, a good boating flow! In addition, over 370 miles of rivers are recommended for state protected river status.

Important habitat areas for spring and fall chinook, steelhead, bull trout, redband trout and westslope cutthroat trout will also benefit. Wilderness streams like Johns and Tenmile Creek will receive protected status and minimum flows. Most of the stream miles recommended are on the Nez Perce National Forest. For more detail and a full list of proposed streams, please
go to Idaho Water Resource Board's South Fork Clearwater Water Plan.

THANKS FOR HELPING TO SUPPORT THE S. FORK CLEARWATER. YOUR COMMENTS WILL
MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE!

If you have any questions about the plan please e-mail call AW volunteer Bonnie Schonefeld at lochsa@camasnet.com, 208-926-0921

TALKING POINTS FOR COMMENTS

1. Support instream flows for all rivers in the plan. Stress that these flows should not be subordinate to future claims.

2. Support state protected river status for all recommended rivers.

3. Let the board know if you paddle or fish on the South Fork Clearwater and how important maintaining flows and water quality are to you for floating, camping, hiking and fishing.

4. If you live in Idaho County, own property in the County, vacation there, or live on the S. Fork be sure to mention it.

5. Support the addition of instream flows for the Lower South Fork Clearwater River.

6. Ask the board to approve the 20% exceedance requested in the minimum stream flow portion of the Plan.

HOW DO I COMMENT?

There are three ways to submit written comments:

1. Send e-mail to Thomas Grant at tgrant@idwr.state.id.us

2. Send written comments to:
Idaho Water Resource Board
1301 North Orchard,
Boise, Idaho 83706.

and send copies of your comments, written or e-mail, to the following water board members:

Jerry Rigby
533 E. 4th St.
Rexburg, ID 83440
jrigby@srv.net

Dick Wyatt
725 6th St., Suite 102
Clarkston, WA 99403
drwoll3@aol.com

3. Send comments via an easy to use online form

MORE INFORMATION

Link to the South Fork Clearwater Basin plan on Idaho Department of Water Resources web-site. To view a map of the proposed streams, select Draft Plan at the above page, then Click on Chapter 3: Issues, Analysis and Recommendations and go to page 11 of the draft plan.

Support instream flow requests for all recommended rivers. The IWRB proposed that minimum stream flow water rights be pursued on the following streams because of their importance to the basin's fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, aesthetics, and recreational values, and because it is in the public interest to preserve these values:

• Red River
• American River
• Crooked River
• Newsome Creek
• Tenmile Creek
• South Fork Clearwater River
• Johns Creek
• Mill Creek
• Meadow Creek

Support additional requests for instream flows on:

• Threemile Creek
• Cottonwood Creek
• Lower South Fork Clearwater River

Support Protected River Status for all recommended rivers.
An explanation follows on what designation as a State Protected River will mean for the streams and the people who enjoy them.

A "protected" river would either be designated as a "natural" or "recreational" river. Natural Rivers are free of substantial human development in the waterway, but may be accessible in areas by trails or roads. Construction of dams, alterations of the stream bed, placer mining and gravel extraction would be prohibited. Recreational Rivers may include human development in the waterway or the riparian area and the Water Board determines which of these activities will be prohibited.

Recommended Natural Rivers are:

In the South Fork Clearwater Basin Draft Plan, the following are recommended for Natural River Status (All of the Natural designated rivers in the South Fork Clearwater River Basin are on federal land and most originate in Wilderness areas:.

1) East Fork Crooked River - (7.1 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Crooked River,

2) West Fork Crooked River - (5.3 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Crooked River,

3) Tenmile Creek and listed tributaries (15.6 miles): Headwaters to confluence with South Fork Clearwater, and the following tributaries:

• Williams Creek - (5.2 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Tenmile Creek,
• Sixmile Creek - (4.7 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Tenmile Creek,

4) Johns Creek and listed tributaries (18.4 miles): From confluence of Boundary Creek and Taylor Creek to confluence with South Fork Clearwater mainstem, and the following tributaries:

• Hagen Creek - (4.4 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Johns Creek,
• Square Mountain Creek - (5.0 miles) Headwaters to confluence with Moores Creek:
• Moores Creek - (6.4 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Square Mountain Creek,
• Gospel Creek - (6.6 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Johns Creek,
• West Fork Gospel Creek - (5.2 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Gospel Creek,

5) Twentymile - (10.3 miles): Headwaters to confluence with South Fork Clearwater,

6) Wing Creek - (5.1 miles): Headwaters to confluence with South Fork Clearwater,

7) Silver Creek - (15.9 miles): Headwaters to confluence with South Fork Clearwater,

Recommended Recreational Rivers are:

1) Red River (27.2 miles) Headwaters to confluence with American River, and the following tributaries:

• Otterson Creek - (3.5 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Red River,
• South Fork Red River - (11.7 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Red River,
• West Fork Red River - (4.3 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Middle South Fork Red River,
• Moose Butte Creek - (3.5 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Red River,
• Red Horse Creek - (8.2 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Red River,

2) American River (21.6 miles) Headwaters to confluence with South Fork Clearwater, and the following tributaries:

• Limber Luke Creek - (2.8 miles): Headwaters to confluence with American River,
• West Fork American River - (5.0 miles): Headwaters to confluence with American River,
• East Fork American River - (6.5 miles): Headwaters to confluence with American River,
• Kirks Fork - (6.8 miles): Headwaters to confluence with American River,

3) Crooked River (11.6 miles) Headwaters to confluence with South Fork Clearwater, and the following tributary:

• Relief Creek - (6.3 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Crooked River,

4) Newsome Creek (15.7 miles) Headwaters to confluence with South Fork Clearwater, and the following tributaries:

• Haysfork Creek - (5.0 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Newsome Creek,
• Baldy Creek - (6.1 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Newsome Creek,
• Pilot Creek - (6.0 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Newsome Creek,
• Sawmill Creek - (3.6 miles) Headwaters to confluence with Newsome Creek,
• Sing Lee Creek - (3.0 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Newsome Creek,
• West Fork Newsome Creek - (6.0 miles): Headwaters to confluence with Newsome Creek,

5) Meadow Creek - (15.2 miles): Headwaters to confluence with South Fork Clearwater,

6) Mill Creek - (15.9 miles): Headwaters to confluence with South Fork Clearwater

7) South Fork Clearwater (63.8 miles) Headwaters to confluence with Middle Fork Clearwater