By Troy Pearse 

BVFF has received a $3,000 grant from Fly Fishers International (FFI) to help fund our gravel augmentation project on the Owyhee River. We have also applied for a $2,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and will hear from them by the end of October. My thanks to BVFF member Forrest Goodrum for his help in submitting for the FFI grant.

The gravel augmentation is planned for early November, which is the beginning of the “work window” for doing in-river work in Oregon. We have targeted the lower end of the river for the augmentation because it has much less suitable spawning habitat and less brown trout spawning activity. If all goes well, this gravel augmentation will improve the productivity of the lower river and make for much better fishing in years to come.

Keep watch for volunteer opportunities in early November to help with the project. It should be quite a show to watch the gravel-slinger truck shoot 100 cubic yards of gravel into the river!