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Resident urges pause on Windler Bar habitat project, citing harms to Salmon River species
Summary
At the board's public forum a resident from Forks of Salmon urged the board to review the Windler Bar Habitat Enhancement Project, warning that placing hundreds of logs and removing trees could warm the Salmon River, reduce sucker fish and harm turtles and salamanders; the board suggested coordination with the regional water board and the U.S. Forest Service.
During public forum on July 7, Tina Bennett of Forks of Salmon told the State Water Resources Control Board that the Salmon River is "sick" and that the Windler Bar Habitat Enhancement Project — which she said would add roughly 700 engineered logs and remove trees and a historical pond — risks warming water, increasing algal blooms and harming species such as suckers, western pond turtles and salamanders.
Bennett said the project team's planned tree tipping and burying of large root wads (she referenced a 90‑foot tree to be buried 50–90 feet in the riverbed) raises questions about springs, groundwater interactions and long‑term impacts on cold‑water rearing habitat. She said the U.S. Forest Service has proposed draining a pond to remove American bullfrogs and that earlier chemical removal was dropped after public concerns.
Board response: Chair Joaquin Esquivel thanked Bennett for elevating the concern and said the State Water Board does not have a direct approval role for the Forest Service project but offered to coordinate with the relevant Regional Water Quality Control Board and follow up on whether regional staff had concerns. Board members and staff encouraged the commenter to continue engaging with regional and federal partners and the board's clerk for assistance in submitting materials for review.
Why it matters: The comment highlights community concerns about tradeoffs in riverine habitat projects—restoration techniques that change hydraulics and shade can help some native life stages while harming others. The board's suggestion to coordinate with the regional board signals a pathway for local concerns to be documented and reviewed by the permitting and regional water quality authorities.
