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A little more information and photos on
the Kootenai Islands plantings |
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May 31, 2016 |
We ran an earlier story addressing the question
on why it appeared the new vegetation on the new
Kootenai River islands seemed to be brown and
fading. That story detailed how the brown
branches seen on the islands were really not
planted at all, they were simply branches stuck
into the ground to provide protection and
shelter for the real plants that had been placed
there.
The Kootenai Tribe has provided some additional
photographs showing how the protective "brush
bundles" on the newly-constructed river islands
are helping to protect the green, growing plants
that were placed on the islands.
 In
the photographs, one can see the brush bundles,
which are branches and boughs that were stuck
into the ground around the new plants to help
shelter and protect the new plants from being
eaten by wildlife. The brush bundles have turned
brown as they are simply branches stuck into the
ground. But the new vegetation they are
sheltering are seen in the photographs to be
growing green and fine.
Last week the new islands and plants survived
another test. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
has allowed the river to rise to higher levels
as part of their program to encourage spawning
of Kootenai River sturgeon. Last week the river
rising crested at 1,760 feet elevation, which is
the highest elevation of the islands, meaning
the islands were mostly underwater for several
days.
"The plants looked healthy and there were only a
few signs of browse," for wildlife feeding, said
Matt Daniels of River Design Group, a group
working with the Tribe on the river restoration
program. As the higher water flows dropped and
the islands emerged once again, it was seen
that "Gene Simmons survived, the Trump signs did
not," according to Mr. Daniels.
Congratulations to Mr. Simmons, but the exciting
news is that the islands and their new
vegetation seem to be doing well so far.
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