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Jamie Powell

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Jamie Powell
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Jamie Powell

Winter Flows on the Henry’s Fork: What Anglers Need to Know

The Henry’s Fork Drought Management Planning Committee (DMPC) met on Monday, November 24 to set this winter’s outflow and reservoir-fill strategy for Island Park Reservoir—an annual decision with implications for winter trout habitat in Box Canyon and the Ranch. Winter Outflow: What’s Coming on December 1 Beginning December 1, outflow from Island Park Dam will increase, bringing winter streamflow through Box Canyon to ~380 cfs from December through February*. That equates to 76% of Box Canyon’s natural winter flow, with the remaining 24% captured for irrigation storage in Henry’s Lake (2%) and Island Park Reservoir (22%). A flow of 380 cfs may look low on paper, but given the water-supply constraints we are facing, it is a strong outcome. The long-term average natural flow (1978–2025) for Box Canyon is roughly 650 cfs, but recurring multi-year drought has pushed natural winter baseflows 23% below average. In fact, this winter’s natural supply is competing with 2016 for the second-lowest in the last 48 years. The good news: thanks to continued precision water management and close cooperation among all water-management partners, reservoir savings this year were double what they were in 2016. This coordinated approach makes it possible to provide stronger winter habitat

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Jamie Powell

Silver Lake Drawdown: What Happened, What We Saw, and What We’re Doing About It

The Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) has become aware of, and is actively investigating, the recent drawdown of Silver Lake in Harriman State Park. The sudden lowering of the lake released a large amount of fine sediment downstream into Thurmon Creek and the Third Channel of the Henry’s Fork through the Ranch. HFF was not informed before Silver Lake was drawn down. Fortunately, our science team was already in Harriman State Park and responded immediately, documenting conditions, collecting samples, and assessing the river as soon as impacts became visible. The worst-case scenario has not happened, thank goodness. Based on our observations: We have not seen any dead fish, and trout appear to have moved away from the heaviest sediment. (Photos available.) At the Observation Deck—where turbidity ranged from 35–80 NTU—we saw trout rising and feeding in pockets of clearer water just outside the plume. Fish were still present in Thurmon Creek. These are encouraging early signs. Our full team is engaged and working daily. We are:   Collecting water samples as permission from Harriman State Park and weather conditions allow Running drone surveys Assessing fish behavior Tracking sediment movement through Thurmon Creek and Third Channel We are monitoring, investigating, and advocating

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Jamie Powell

FAQ: Silver Lake Drawdown

The Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) has become aware of, and is actively investigating, the recent drawdown of Silver Lake in Harriman State Park. The sudden lowering of the lake released a large amount of fine sediment downstream into Thurmon Creek and the Third Channel of the Henry’s Fork through the Ranch. HFF was not informed before Silver Lake was drawn down. Fortunately, our science team was already in Harriman State Park and responded immediately, documenting conditions, collecting samples, and assessing the river as soon as impacts became visible. Read more about the event and HFF’s response here.   Did this kill any fish? Based on what we’ve seen so far, we have not observed any dead fish. Trout appeared to move quickly away from the heaviest sediment, and our team even documented fish rising and feeding in pockets of clearer water just outside the plume. We’ll continue monitoring fish behavior as conditions develop, but early observations are encouraging. How bad is the sediment, really? The sediment pulse is noticeable, especially in Thurmon Creek and the Third Channel, but it has not resulted in an acute fish-kill event. Turbidity levels reached unusually high values near the outflow, but the most intense

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Jamie Powell

From the Henry’s Fork to the One Fly: A Legacy Comes Full Circle

Guest Article by Mike Lawson, Henry’s Fork Anglers In early September, the Eagle Rock Wranglers, consisting of my youngest son, Chris, Mark Rockefeller (the owner of our business), Mike Engels, and Jonathan Lancaster won the 2025 Jackson One Fly event. It is a challenging accomplishment to finish at the top of the 40 team field. It was great to have some skin in the game again. I felt part of the winning team because I shared some of my experience and knowledge, and I tied some of the flies that were used. It also brought back some cherished memories. My first experience with the Jackson One Fly was in 1987, the second year of the event. We were still trying to get the Henry’s Fork Foundation off the ground and on the map. We accomplished a lot with our all-volunteer organization, but we quickly realized that it would take a lot more to meet our long-term goals and objectives. We needed exposure and money. Mick Mickelson asked me to consider entering a team in the Jackson One Fly representing the Henry’s Fork Foundation. My first reaction was that he had lost his marbles. The entry fee was expensive, and we

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Jamie Powell

FAQ: Pilot Relocation of Wild Rainbows

Q: What does “relocation” mean? A: Relocation means carefully moving wild trout from one part of our watershed to another under IDFG oversight. It is not hatchery stocking — these are wild fish from the same original lineage as the Henry’s Fork rainbows. Q: What are the benefits of this approach? A: The possibility for an immediate bump in angling opportunity, and high transport survival, based on past efforts (~98%). Q: Why are you doing this? A: To test whether relocation could be one more tool in our adaptive science toolbox. It’s a pilot experiment designed to learn, not a long-term policy. Q: How will you measure success? A: Monitoring survival rates, contribution to the population, and overall acceptance. Results will be transparent and guide future decisions.   View the joint press release from IDFG and HFF here.

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Jamie Powell

Pilot Relocation of Wild Rainbows Demonstrates Adaptive Science to Strengthen the Henry’s Fork Fishery

In a first-of-its-kind adaptive science effort for the Henry’s Fork, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) and Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF) are launching a pilot project this October to evaluate whether small-scale relocation of wild Rainbow Trout can strengthen long-term fishery resilience. On the South Fork, a small number of Rainbow Trout are being relocated as part of IDFG efforts to suppress Rainbow Trout abundance by 30% to benefit native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout conservation. Approximately 400 of these wild Rainbows will be transferred under IDFG supervision as one experimental component of a broader, data-driven management strategy. The relocation will take place in mid-October. These are not hatchery fish, but wild trout that will be carefully marked to support long-term monitoring and help estimate their contribution to the population during routine assessments, including the spring 2026 Box Canyon population survey. “This is an opportunity to provide a win-win management action for both the South Fork and Henrys Fork fisheries,” said Brett High IDFG Regional Fisheries Manager. “IDFG was already planning on moving these valuable wild Rainbows from the South Fork Snake River to a different location that could be improved with the addition of more trout. The section of

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