Western Native Trout Initiative

Rainey Creek is an important spawning and rearing tributary for Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the South Fork Snake River below Palisades Dam. It flows through a mixture of private ownerships and federal lands. Bald eagles, Yellow-billed cuckoo, Ute Ladies' Tresses, trumpeter swans and other wildlife have been observed near the project area.

Surveys of the Rainey Creek system identified nine barriers that need to be either modified, combined, or eliminated to restore fish passage. This project will address passage problems at the "Caboose Culvert" that is perched, with a drop too large for fish and other aquatic organisms to negotiate passage upstream.

The Rainey Creek project is a community-based restoration plan working with private landowners and state and federal agencies to restore connectivity between Rainey Creek and the South Fork of the Snake River and in the process correct some long standing stream problems. This project will restore passage through the "Caboose Culvert".

Build three v-shaped rock weirs to elevate the water surface area below the “Caboose Culvert” to eliminate a water drop and restore passage. This is the most cost effective method of dealing with this barrier which is made worse in low water conditions.