Myrtle Bend Substrate Enhancement Pilot Project Extent, Kootenai River near Bonners Ferry, ID, 2014
Description
The substrate enhancement pilot project (SEPP) extent GIS layer represents an
area where an artificial substrate will be placed. The artificial substrate, consisting
of a mixed size class of gravel, is aimed at providing a more suitable substrate for
sturgeon eggs and early-life rearing habitat. The location of the SEPP extent was
created by analyzing the egg-mat network, bathymetric features, surficial sediment
facies, and streamflow characteristics. The egg-mat data represent points where
sturgeon eggs were captured in previous years, indicating a preference of spawning
location. The bathymetry and surficial sediment facies data were used to delineate
areas that were relatively flat and completely within the areas of lucustrine clay
outcroppings. The streamflow data, consisting of acoustic doppler current profiles
throughout the reach, was used to determine areas where the streamflow velocities
were high enough to maintain sediment transport of sand and fine grained sediment
so that deposition of that sediment would be minimal. The SEPP extent represents
an area where sturgeon have spawned previously, located on a low sloped and
predominanly lucstrine clay surface, and in an area of relatively high streamflow
velocities.