Bonanza Fish Habitat and Floodplain Restoration project update 2022

Floodplain and channel restoration on the Yankee Fork Salmon River near the historical mining town of Bonanza City, just downstream from the Yankee Fork Dredge, was completed in 2020.  Low water and the porous nature of the dredge tailings resulted in the river going dry in the fall of 2020 and 2021.  Project partners accelerated natural channel sealing in 2022 to reduce water loss.  This video gives an update on actions were taken during 2022 to accelerate natural channel sealing and the results of those actions.  It also outlines project benefits and discusses natural mechanisms that are operating to continue improvement and recovery of the area.  Restoration of this area was needed because of dredging, which occurred during the mid-1900s, that removed fines, eliminated the floodplain, and left the river trapped between the dredge tailings and the mountain.

A video describing construction of this project is described in the video at the link below.
Bonanza Stream Restoration Project.

The Yankee Fork enters the Salmon River about 12 miles downstream from Stanley Idaho and the project location is 44.373082°, -114.725113°

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