Description:
The Foster Slough complex is a landscape of wetlands, pastures, hay fields, springs, and creeks adjacent to the Teton River near Victor, Idaho. Distinctive hydrology, agricultural land use, and other factors create exceptional wildlife habitat that supports breeding and migrating populations of long-billed curlew, greater sandhill crane, and other sensitive wildlife. In 2005, Intermountain Aquatics and the Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) worked together to: expand and monitor a network of groundwater wells to characterize seasonal groundwater fluctuations; install and monitor staff gauges to characterize stream hydrographs; survey irrigation practices influencing wetland and stream hydrology; review historical aerial photographs to identify visible changes in land use and streams; and analyze climate conditions affecting observed hydrology. General patterns of hydrology were summarized from these observations and used as background for management interpretations. Our findings indicated highly favorable conditions for fish and wildlife habitat enhancement. Surface and groundwater resources were found to be plentiful, and favorable soil properties and topography made large areas of the Foster Slough complex suitable for wetland or stream restoration and enhancement projects. The 2005 hydrology study helped characterize existing hydrologic, soil and land management trends throughout the Foster Slough area. The TRLT will be able to add its wealth of wildlife information to this data to define the unique blend of characteristics that currently promote wildlife utilization. By combining spatial and temporal wildlife information with the spatial and temporal hydrologic, soil and land management information presented in this report, the TRLT and IMA will be able to clearly define wildlife management goals and restoration objectives that protect and enhance the wildlife, cultural and landscape values of the Foster Slough complex.