Thompson Creek is a headwater stream, tributary to Muldoon Creek, in the Little Wood River watershed, located in the Pioneer Mountains of central Idaho. Thompson Creek burned during the 2018 Sharps Fire.
The broad goal of restoration on Thompson Creek was to improve stream health by adding channel-spanning and bank-attached woody structures to the stream. Instream structures were intended to: increase channel-floodplain connectivity during both high-flow and baseflow conditions, increase temporary water storage in both surface water (i.e., ponds) and groundwater, and increase instream and floodplain complexity by forcing both erosion and deposition. In areas with incision, structures are intended to capture sediment, and lead to aggradation and increased channel-floodplain connectivity. These physical changes are intended to create opportunities for riparian expansion, which can be a source for additional inputs of woody material, provide shade to limit stream temperatures, and provide a source of forage and dam building for dispersing beaver which are present in the Little Wood watershed, most notably on Muldoon Creek.
