Situation
The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho is leading a long-term effort to restore the Kootenai River and its tributaries to a more natural and sustainable state, with a strong focus on improving habitat for fish and wildlife. This extensive restoration program aims to reconnect floodplains, enhance river function, and support the long-term health of the ecosystem.
For more than 14 years, the Tribe has partnered with Goodfellow Bros. to help bring this vision to life. Together, the team has completed 18 restoration projects with a combined contract value exceeding $55 million, making significant progress throughout the Kootenai River watershed.
Solution
Goodfellow Bros. has provided a wide range of earthwork, river restoration, and habitat enhancement services across multiple projects along the Kootenai River and its tributaries.
Project work has included the removal of more than 300 abandoned vehicles from the river corridor, over 1.25 million cubic yards of excavation, more than 15,000 linear feet of bank stabilization, and over 150 acres of floodplain grading. The team has also installed multiple concrete structures, constructed thousands of log pile features, and placed tens of thousands of pieces of large woody material to improve habitat complexity and river function.
Several projects required specialized construction techniques, including multiple seasons of barge-supported operations to access remote work areas while minimizing environmental impacts.
Notable
The restoration program incorporates innovative designs that include expansive floodplains, multiple river channels, and extensive engineered wood structures that mimic natural river processes. Through a strong and enduring partnership, the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and Goodfellow Bros. continue to advance one of the largest and most impactful river restoration efforts in the Pacific Northwest.
“The GBI team has effectively helped meet the complex goals of implementing large-scale river restoration for the Tribe. They have been very committed to making sure that the Tribe’s project goals are met, and they have a proven ability to lead and implement successful large-scale complex projects within a defined schedule and budget.”
–Susan Ireland, Fish And Wildlife Department Director (retired), Kootenai Tribe of Idaho
