on the Atlas and Flood Plain Management
Kristine Hilt is the former Blaine County Floodplain Manager and currently works for USFS as a Realty Specialist. During her 10 year tenure as floodplain manager, Kristine was named Floodplain Manager of the Year by the Northwest Regional Floodplain Management Association, in recognition for her work during the county's 2017 historic flooding on the Big Wood River.
Why do you love the Big Wood River?
The Big Wood River serves as the keystone of this community. It brings life to resident (and visiting/passing through) wildlife and community members alike. It’s a continuum and representation of everything wild and free that we cherish about Idaho.
What does it mean to you?
The river serves as my mentor, my friend and a source of comfort when I lean into it. Funny enough, I feel as though it’s also co-parenting our children as it continues to always provide a foundation of joy, a love of nature and the power of unpredictability.
How has the river and its ecosystem changed over the years, being born and raised in Blaine county that’s numerous decades of watching the river!
It’s an interesting question to reflect upon because it’s difficult to determine what may have changed in the riverscape vs what may have changed with my perspective of it. For example, I spent a great deal of my childhood swimming in the Bellevue canal. It was perfect for kids as it seemed to always have a slow and constant flow. We had rope swings and jumped off the diversion/head gates often. As a child, I thought the canal and headgates were just part of the river. It wasn’t until I was a young professional that I realized how harmful the majority of developments, such as diversions and bank hardening/channelizations, truly were for the riverscape. I believe that the river has indeed changed over time but more importantly, so has the community’s knowledge on what river health really is. My life is a small snapshot in time compared to the history of river altering development in this valley.
What does being a river steward mean to you? What does good stewardship look like?
I believe that being a river steward can mean different things to different people. As a parent, I believe that your number one responsibility is to create space for your children to love and respect the river. They will eventually want to preserve and protect what they love most. As a teacher, I believe that you have a responsibility to teach your students about the critical role that dynamic/unaltered rivers play in the broader ecosystem. As an expert in my field, I believe that it’s my responsibility to engage in matters that would benefit from community engagement and input. Our elected officials and leaders often lack specific skillsets in the broad decision making they face. They rely on community members to speak up and engage in meaningful conversations.
What role do you believe anglers play in the conservation efforts of the river?
I love watching people fish as I believe they find peace and comfort in the sport. It takes patience, persistence and trial after trial. I think it’s so beneficial when anglers can take the time to teach others how to love the sport and the river. It’s so much more meaningful to share your passions with others to allow for them to create their own bond with the natural environment. As I mentioned before, I think we all tend to protect what we love.
What is a piece of wisdom or knowledge you’ve learned from your work?
The most important thing I have learned from my work is that the river means so many different things to so many different kinds of people. Ultimately, I believe we all deserve a seat at the table when it comes to management decisions and restoration.
Looking to the future, what are your hopes and aspirations for the Big Wood River and the community surrounding it here?
I hope that the broader community can support a unified and collaborative approach to river management. My vision has always been to create a group of technical advisors to review river projects on a broader scale. I hope that the local jurisdictional boundaries can give a little to allow for more of a consistent approach to floodplain, riparian and stream channel protection and restoration valley wide.
What does “the perfect” day of fishing for you look like on the Big Wood River?
There’s typically a few cold beers, our dog, and our laughing kiddos close by. It’s more enjoyable for me now to teach my kids how to fish than it is for me to catch them. The joy and excitement on their faces is almost too much to handle.
How did the concept of the Atlas 1.0 come about?
The concept of the Atlas was forged after the devastating flood of 2017. So many of us, property owners and local/state/federal staff alike, were all reeling after the destruction. So many emergency actions were authorized and each required a great deal of follow up. It was clear to myself and the County Commissioners that we needed to be more proactive for future events. Climate change and adverse impacts from decades of development along the river corridor were likely going to continue to exacerbate flooding issues.
What were you hoping the Atlas may be used for?
We had hoped that the Atlas would serve as a guiding document on river management and restoration efforts for many years to come.
Why was this important to you?
We had recognized that Blaine County’s approach to floodplain, riparian and stream channel management had much broader applications. We knew that we had to update the county’s regulations to more appropriately review, monitor and engage in river management decisions. We had hoped that this work would serve not only the county’s constituents but also adjacent and regional communities that often looked to Blaine County for leadership in river/floodplain management.
What do you want to see in Atlas 2.0?
More data! I would love to see how each of the tributaries plays a vital role in the Big Wood River’s overall health. This includes temperature, sediment input, oxygen levels, water quality impacts and an evaluation of quality habitat for fish and wildlife. I would also like to see more comprehensive guidelines on how the local decision makers, property owners and design professionals can address potential flood mitigation and restoration projects within the river and floodplain areas. The Atlas 2.0 should include collaboration from all of the potentially impacted stakeholders and the communities should consider adopting such a document that provides for broader and more efficient river management.
How can we make it more closely aligned with county regulations?
I think the more appropriate question here is how to align the County Regulations more closely with the science. River health is important to the local community and the science allows for solutions on how to restore and maintain a healthy river system.
And add anything else you want to!
Lastly, I just want to say that it has been a highlight in my life to have served in such a unique and critical role for almost a decade in this community. I am grateful for such an amazing opportunity to facilitate the togetherness we experience from a common love of our river.
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