Project Big Wood

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Project Big Wood

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Uniting our community for a better Big Wood River. Data. Education. Advocacy. Earthworks.
📍Blaine County, Idaho.

09/14/2026

Grab a PBW travel mug, fill it with your hot beverage of choice, and skate on down to the river!

Link in bio to our web store. Every purchase helps restore the Big Wood River.

Photo: James Conrad

08/31/2026

Do you know about Didymo?

This month, Miles breaks down Didymo, aka “rock snot.” Learn where this algae is found, why a native algae is acting invasively, and why your wading boots are probably its favorite way to travel.

Video: Cooper Morton

08/10/2026

What's hatching on the Big Wood, and why it matters...⁠
⁠
Bugs & Brews is back! Join Project Big Wood, The Salmon Fly Project, and Sawtooth Brewery for a night on the BUGS of the Big Wood River: what's hatching, what's not, and why it matters for the health of the river! ⁠
Talk starts at 6:45. Tie flies, sip a Big Woody, bring your questions, and stick around for the raffle—prizes from Silver Creek Outfitters, Colors on the Fly, Lamson, Decked, Patagonia, and local fly tiers.⁠
⁠
Thursday, Sept 3, 6 -7:30 pm ⁠
Sawtooth Brewery HAILEY⁠
Free entry, all fishing guides receive a free drink ticket ⁠
Raffle Tickets $5 ⁠
⁠
Link in bio to RSVP

07/31/2026

Give a Hoot!

Get the science behind why you shouldn’t fish warm water and the history of hoot owl closures. Idaho doesn’t mandate one, but we recommend enacting your own: when water temps rise above 68°F, give the trout a break. We as anglers can have a real effect on trout survival and recovery.

Video: Cooper Morton

02/05/2026

The International Fly Fishing Film Festival is back!⁠
Friday February 13th Doors open at 5:30, films start at 6:30⁠
⁠
Grab your friends, family, and fishing partners and join us for an unforgettable night of fly-fishing films, hosted by the Wood River Valley’s local Trout Unlimited chapter. Every ticket supports youth education programs from , .anglers, and .⁠
⁠
Each ticket includes a complimentary raffle entry for a chance to win a float trip on the Upper Salmon River, generously donated by White Otter Outfitters.⁠
⁠
Bring the whole family—there will be door prizes, kids’ raffles, and a silent auction.⁠
⁠
Get your tickets before they sell out at the Argyros, or comment ticket, and we will send you the link! ⁠
⁠

02/02/2026

Like its tributaries, the Big Wood River mainstem shows very low phosphorus, squarely within the “Good” category. But nitrogen levels tell a more concerning story: the river’s mean TDN is 0.139 mg/L, which is exactly the EPA threshold between “Good” and “Fair.” In other words, the main stem is sitting right on the edge.

Some individual sites — including Easley and Bullion Bridge — already fluctuate between healthy and poor nitrogen levels throughout the year. In a system that is strongly phosphorus-limited, even modest increases in nitrogen or phosphorus could shift the ecological balance. These findings show that the Big Wood River is healthy in some ways, vulnerable in others, and that consistent long-term monitoring is essential to protecting its resilience.

Our watershed baseline is just getting started. Explore the full report on our website — link in bio.

***EPA Healthy River Standards (for refrence) ⁠
Total P: ⁠
Good threshold- 0.018(mg/L)⁠
Poor threshold- 0.041(mg/L)⁠
Total N:⁠
Good threshold- 0.139(mg/L)⁠
Poor threshold- 0.249(mg/L)

01/30/2026

Wow! Thank you for coming together and helping us surpass our ambitious $100,000 goal! Together we are making a better Big Wood River.

01/26/2026

The East Fork shows very low phosphorus, well within the “Good” threshold — again characteristic of a strongly phosphorus-limited system. But nitrogen tells a more complicated story. The mean TDN (0.128 mg/L) is below the “Good” threshold overall, but the lower site fluctuates between healthy and poor concentrations at different sampling times.

This upper-to-lower divergence is something we need to watch closely. It may reflect natural seasonal variation, changing land-use influences, or other downstream factors — and we don’t yet have enough data to determine which. What we do know is that the East Fork’s lower reach is showing intermittent nutrient pressure, making it an important focus for 2025 monitoring.

Our watershed baseline is just getting started. Explore the full report on our website — link in bio.

***EPA Healthy River Standards (for refrence) ⁠
Total P: ⁠
Good threshold- 0.018(mg/L)⁠
Poor threshold- 0.041(mg/L)⁠
Total N:⁠
Good threshold- 0.139(mg/L)⁠
Poor threshold- 0.249(mg/L)

01/23/2026

The International Fly Fishing Film Festival is back!
Friday February 13th Doors open at 5:30, films start at 6:30

Grab your friends, family, and fishing partners and join us for an unforgettable night of fly-fishing films, hosted by the Wood River Valley’s local Trout Unlimited chapter. Every ticket supports youth education programs from , .anglers, and .

Each ticket includes a complimentary raffle entry for a chance to win a float trip on the Upper Salmon River, generously donated by White Otter Outfitters.

Bring the whole family—there will be door prizes, kids’ raffles, and a silent auction.

Get your tickets before they sell out at the Argyros, or comment ticket, and we will send you the link!

Address

Po Box 5006
Ketchum, ID
83336

Website

http://projectbigwood.org/

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