Wood River Land Trust

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Wood River Land Trust

Wood River Land Trust works to protect and restore land, water and wildlife habitat in the Wood River Valley, Idaho and surrounding areas.

Established in 1994 by a group of concerned individuals, Wood River Land Trust has protected nearly 25,000 acres in south central Idaho and restored more than two miles of the Big Wood River and tributaries. Alongside private landowners, public agencies and other nonprofits, we strategically invest our donors' funding to accomplish community based conservation, providing benefits to the public such as clean water, scenic views, working landscapes and places to connect with nature.

04/30/2026

Idaho Gives officially kicks off next week, May 4th-7th, with early giving now open online. This year, every dollar you donate to the Howard Preserve Expansion will be matched dollars for dollar by the Makowski Trust, up to $25,000!

The Wood River Land Trust and the Friends of The Howard Preserve are looking for community support to help secure a 0.55 acre parcel at the South end of the Howard Preserve, which will create a permanent southern entrance to the popular community Preserve.

Acquiring this property will:
🎣 Secure a year round southern entrance, set back from high water lines, that is clearly signed and accessible.

🥾 Strengthen Bellevue’s walkable connection to our beloved river and trail system.

💧Permanently protect 400 feet of Big Wood River frontage, keeping it wild and preventing future development.

To secure this essential piece of riverfront, the wood River Land Trust aims to raise $335,000 by September 30, 2026, for the acquisition and stewardship of the property. Donate today and double your donation!

04/28/2026

Join us for Birding101 - back by popular demand! Discover a new passion that gets you outdoors and deepens your connection with nature. Register now on our website, limited spaces available! Link in bio. Happy Birding! 🦅

04/24/2026

Did you know that your backyard has a direct connection to the health of the Big Wood River?

Whether you live right on the water or blocks away, the way you landscape affects the home of our local trout.

By making your yard Trout Friendly you will:

💧 Conserve Water
🌱 Create Backyard Habitat
🪱 Improve Soil Health For Water Quality

Visit our website to explore our Trout Friendly Yard Certification.

04/22/2026

Slow Down and Dive Deeper with The Side Channel 🐟

In a river, the side channels are where the water slows down, where young fish find refuge, and where the most intricate parts of the ecosystem thrive.

Our new e-blast, The Side Channel by River Program Director Cory McCaffrey, is built on that same philosophy. It’s a space to step away from the rushing current of daily news and explore the “why” behind the Wood River Land Trust’s river programs.

What’s inside?

We’re going beyond the headlines to bring you:

🐟 Deep Reflections: The values and stories that drive our mission.
🐟 The Science of Restoration: What we’re learning as we monitor and restore fishery health.
🐟Curious Inquiry: A look at the complex questions facing the Wood River Valley and beyond.
🐟 Long-term Vision: Insights into why meaningful restoration takes time, patience, and a fresh perspective.

This space is for the thinkers, the anglers, and the river-lovers who know that protecting our waters requires more than just a surface level understanding. It requires a willingness to look beyond what we’ve always known.

Ready to explore the current with us?
Click the 🔗 link in our bio to subscribe.

04/20/2026

Improving Wildlife Connectivity Across Our Highways.

The Wood River Land Trust has commissioned a road ecology team to develop a Long-Range Mitigation Plan for reducing wildlife-vehicle conflict on the highway segments across the County, as part of the Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Subcommittee of the Blaine County Regional Transportation Committee.

If you would like to learn more about the project and what actions you can take join us for a community information & feedback workshop! To learn more click the 🔗 in our bio or email us at [email protected].

04/13/2026

💧 A Call to Action: The Outlook for Our Watershed

The NRCS Idaho April 2026 Water Supply Outlook Report is out, and the numbers confirm what many of us have feared: our snowpack peaked three weeks early on March 17th, marking one of the lowest levels since records began in the 1930s.

As Erin Whorton of NRCS Idaho puts it, “Every Idahoan will feel the impacts.” With the snow already rapidly disappearing, we are looking at earlier streamflow peaks and the very real possibility of record low flows by the time summer arrives.

🌊 Why This Is Our “Watershed Moment”

At the Wood River Land Trust, our Watershed Moment Project was designed for exactly this kind of challenge. We know that our river doesn’t just provide scenery—it is the lifeblood of our agriculture, our local recreation economy, and our ecosystem’s health.

When the snow melts too fast and too early, our “natural reservoir” disappears before we need it most. This is why our work to restore floodplains and improve stream resilience is more critical than ever. Healthy floodplains act like sponges, slowing down the runoff and keeping water in the system longer.

📉 What You Need to Know:

Historic Lows: Snowpack levels are among the lowest in nearly a century.

The “Drier Scenario”: NRCS urges water users to plan for 70% and 90% exceedance forecasts

Fire & Smoke: An unprecedented “snow drought” means a longer window for wildfire risk, both locally and from drifting smoke.

🤝 Join the Movement

The Watershed Moment Project is about proactive solutions. We aren’t just watching the gauges hit record lows; we are working to protect the Big Wood River’s future.

“With very little snow left in the mountains to sustain streamflow into the dry summer months, our rivers could reach record low flow conditions.” — Erin Whorton, NRCS

Now is the time to stay informed, conserve where we can, and support local restoration efforts that give our river a fighting chance.

🔗 Check the NRCS interactive map for real-time data and visit our website to see how the Watershed Moment Project is making an impact.

04/07/2026

We’re thrilled to share the news of the latest trail in the Hailey area—the Quigley/Hangman Connector or QHC, a collaboration between the BLM Shoshone Field Office, The BCRD, Wood River Trails Coalition and Wood River Land Trust. The new connector links the Quigley Loop with the Hang Tight and Hang Loose trails, creating exciting new possibilities.

Stretching a mile in length and featuring a gain or loss of roughly 750 feet in elevation, the QHC is designed for a variety of users. Whether you’re hiking, riding a mountain bike or Class 1 e-bike, or enjoying the trail on horseback, you’ll likely appreciate this connecting trail.

The QHC trail is the result of dedicated work by the Wood River Trails Coalition and was funded by BLM Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act resources. We hope you’ll make the most of this fantastic new route, and, as always, we ask everyone to be considerate and respectful of fellow trail users to keep our trails enjoyable for all.

📸Wood River Trails Coalition

03/20/2026

We are thrilled to announce that The Keystone Concept, The Wood River Land Trust, and Blaine County’s 5B Climate Action Network (5B CAN) have been selected as a recipient team of the 2025 Climate Smart Communities Initiative grant!

02/09/2026

This Thursday we are honored to have Dr. Janine Castro give her talk Minding the Gap: Using Stepping-stones to Restore Aquatic Connectivity. If you want to learn more about what we can do to help wildlife move freely through our valley- beavers included, then join us this Thursday at 5:30 at the campus. Register with the link in our bio! See you there. 🦫

Address

119 E Bullion Street
Hailey, ID
83333

Telephone

+12087883947

Website

http://www.woodriverlandtrust.org/

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