Limber Jim Creek Restoration Project

The Limber Jim Creek Restoration Project is located on Limber Jim and South Fork Limber Jim Creek, tributaries to the Grande Ronde River. The project is located on approximately 3.1 miles of Limber Jim Creek (approximately RM .5 – 3.6), and within the first river mile of South Fork Limber Jim Creek. Limber Jim Creek is spawning and rearing habitat for Snake River Basin Chinook salmon, summer steelhead, bull trout and redband trout. Historic timber harvest and grazing, roading and mining reduced the future recruitment of large wood and the amount/types of riparian vegetation. These combined impacts also changed pool/riffle ratios, residual pool depth, habitat complexity, and floodplain function. The stream within the project area, no longer has livestock grazing within the project area. There are existing mining claims with little activity and dispersed recreation camping areas. Three culverts on South Fork, North Fork and mainstem Limber Jim Creeks do not adequately pass fish at all life stages (two of these culverts will be replaced under a different project and one will removed to meet fish passage needs). Sill logs were placed in the late 1980s/early 1990s to improve pool habitat. There are three big game exclosures on mainstem Limber Jim Creek that are partially down. Closed stream bottom roads exist on mainstem Limber Jim and tributaries. Riparian vegetation primarily consists of sedges, rushes, lodgepole pine and alder.