10/13/2026
Each fall, Clark Fork Coalition staff take our Board of Directors into the field for our Annual Board Field Immersion Day. It’s always a fun day full of exciting discussions, learning, and ‘big dreaming’ for future work to protect and restore the watershed. This year, our Field Immersion Day was extra special as we visited the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) and explored their work to restore the Jocko River.
Our first stop was along the Bison Range Reach of the Jocko River. About 65% of this stretch has been straightened and confined by constructed levees, leaving the river largely cut off from its former floodplain. CSKT’s restoration work here has focused on building roughly 2.7 miles of river channel along a historic route and is expected to create more than 30 acres of wetland habitat. We were able to see part of that work underway—and it’s hard to grasp the scale of this restoration until you’re standing there. Impressive!
We also visited two locations where water is diverted from the river for irrigation. At the Lower Jocko J Canal, a new screen will keep fish from being swept into the canal, while a rock ramp will help fish migrate up and down stream, replacing the current pin and plank diversion structure that blocks fish passage.
At the Jocko K Canal, we visited one of the largest and most impressive fish screens we’ve ever seen! This screen helps keep fish in the river as water enters the large canal. The structure also includes a fish ladder for upstream fish passage. As fish move through, sensors detect tagged fish, helping CSKT biologists track their movements and manage which fish pass upstream. That means native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout can reach important spawning and rearing habitat farther up the Jocko, while non-native trout can be kept from moving into those areas.
There’s a great deal at stake along the Jocko: cold water and connected habitat are vital for native fish and wildlife; water also supports agriculture across the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project. For the Tribes, the river, fish, and wildlife are relatives, deeply tied to their culture, history, and traditions. CSKT’s water, restoration, and fisheries staff coordinate their work to address decades of damage to the river and provide for a vibrant future for the Jocko.
We’re so grateful to the CSKT team for inviting us into the field and taking the time to show us their impressive projects and approach to river restoration. It was a privilege to learn from CSKT staff and to see their commitment to the Jocko up close.
