Threat to Trestle Creek Bull Trout Sanctuary Continues
For generations, Trestle Creek has been a place where the wild side of North Idaho is prevalent—where children marvel at the flash of spawning kokanee salmon, and threatened bull trout return to the cold, clean waters that shaped them. Now this living sanctuary is squarely in jeopardy once again. Undeterred by years of public opposition, the developers behind the proposed marina and luxury homes are undeterred by the years-long fight, and are pushing forward in pursuit of permits that would turn this quiet sanctuary into a noisy, high-trafficked area.According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), Trestle Creek provides the most important spawning habitat for bull trout in the entire Pend Oreille Basin. About half of all bull trout redds (nests) in the basin are found here each year. The creek’s calm, shallow waters and complex shoreline offer rare and vital breeding grounds.But the most recent survey, published in 2024, sounded an alarm: bull trout redd counts dropped nearly 50% in 2023 and reached the lowest level on record. Bull trout are sensitive indicators of water quality and ecosystem health—their decline is a warning that this watershed is already nearing a tipping point.
A Permanent Mark Proposed on a Living Sanctuary
The Idaho Club’s plan calls for a commercial marina with 88 boat slips, a breakwater, parking lot, and seven luxury homes with private docks. Construction would excavate 12,500 cubic yards of lakebed and part of an island totaling 3.2 acres, remove natural vegetation and a beaver dam that stabilizes the shoreline, and armor 3,800 feet of fragile shoreline.This project isn’t just a marina—it’s a transformation of a living ecosystem into a hub of boat traffic, noise, and pollution. The uncertainty about plans for sewage treatment threatens water quality, while runoff from lawns, driveways, and parking lots would further degrade the water. Increased boat traffic adds noise as well as the risk of oil and gas leaks and introducing invasive species.
Permitting and Approvals
Despite years of broad public opposition, state and federal agencies continue advancing the project:
The Idaho Department of Lands approved the marina permit in 2024.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) has since issued a Section 401 Water Quality Certification.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) recently issued a permit to remove land and fill in areas of the lake, under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
Prior to the issuance of the Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided a Letter of Concurrence with the Corps’ revised Biological Assessment. The Assessment was written by Pierre Bordenave, a ‘non government representative,’ who lacks expertise in fisheries, and concludes that the project is not likely to adversely affect bull trout—a reversal from earlier drafts that warned of serious harm.
The Idaho Department of Water Resources recently issued a Stream Channel Alteration Permit for the North Branch of Trestle Creek, which the developer needs to re-route in order to make room for their development. The permit indicates that this work must happen when the stream is not flowing, or between July 15 and September 15, in order to protect migrating and spawning salmonids. Since the North Branch flowed all summer and fall this year, it appears that work cannot begin until July 15th, 2026 at the earliest.
The Bonner County Zoning Commission has recommended allowing modifications to the development’s Planned Unit Development (PUD) permit. That recommendation will be considered by the Bonner County Board of Commissioners on November 12th at 1:30 pm.
The remaining permitting hurdle for this development is an Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice under the National Environmental Policy Act through the Army Corps of Engineers.
Ignoring Long-Term Harm
IDEQ’s water quality certification and the Corps’ permit to dredge and fill narrowly assess only the short-term construction impacts of the marina and housing development—not the long-term operational effects on bull trout and water quality. This short-sighted approach defies both logic and the intent of the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act, which are meant to ensure lasting protection for species and waters—not temporary compliance during construction.
A Community United to Defend Trestle Creek
North Idahoans cherish Trestle Creek as a natural refuge—a place where families, students, and anglers witness the annual miracle of salmon and bull trout spawning. The loss of this habitat would not only endanger a threatened species, but also sever a vital connection to the wildness of our region.ICL’s conservation and legal experts are carefully reviewing the permits, biological assessments, and certifications to ensure they meet the law and protect Trestle Creek’s future.Protecting this creek means protecting more than a place—it means defending clean water, and the heritage that defines North Idaho.