BY KAREN BOSSICK

Idaho Fish and Game is removing bag and possession limits for the little Wood Reservoir and a four-mile stretch of the Little Wood River from the dam to the canal diversion near Carey as part of a fish salvage order.

The Little Wood Irrigation District will drain the remaining pool of irrigation water behind the Little Wood dam within the next 10 days. What’s left will quickly warm to temperatures that will not support cold-water fish.

The Little Wood River below the dam will also be dewatered, leading to a loss of fish there.

The fish salvage order came as Columbia Riverkeeper released underwater video this week that shows sockeye salmon with large welts and open sores swimming in Washington’s Little White Salmon River. The organization’s director blamed the heat for the sockeyes’ condition.

The Columbia River currently exceeds 71 degrees—much hotter than the legal limit of 68. Above 68 degrees fish suffer from stress and disease. A quarter million sockeye died in the Columbia and Snake rivers because of hot water in 2015.

The situation has prompted a vigil for the salmon in Portland today. Tribal Nations and conservation organizations say that one solution would be breaching the four lower Snake River Dams to cool the Snake River.

In better news, the Big Wood River is slated to be stocked with 10- to 12-inch catchable-sized rainbow trout the weekend of Aug. 2-6, and the North Fork Big Wood River will get 250. The Big Wood River will get another 950 Aug. 9-13 and Warm Springs Creek 1,425.

The North Fork Big Wood River will get 225 the week of Aug. 16-20 and Warm Springs Creek will be stocked with 1,425 the week of Aug. 23-27.

If you go…

The Little Wood salvage order will remain in effect until Sept. 30 2021. A valid 2021 fishing license is required to salvage fish. Fish may be taken by any method except firearms, chemicals and electric current.

Anglers are asked not to enter into the construction area around the dam.

Questions? Call the Magic Valley Regional Office at 208-324-4359.

HAYSPUR CAMPING RESTRICTED

Construction projects at the Hayspur Fish Hatchery near Picabo will limit the number of campsites available to campers in early August. It’s estimated the campground will be reduced to 10 campsites as heavy equipment operations require a partial closure for safety reasons.