Lewiston’s Sawmill River Restoration Completes Major Construction; Planting Will Continue

LEWISTON, Trinity County — Work at the Sawmill Gravel Processing Site along the Trinity River has reached a major milestone. The Trinity River Restoration Program says its channel rehabilitation project’s civil construction was completed September 25, 2026, after activities that began on June 22.

What was accomplished?

The program’s official project update says the Yurok Tribe Construction Corporation completed the heavy civil construction work, while Hoopa Valley fisheries crews were carrying out revegetation. Crews reworked a former gravel processing area to improve floodplain connectivity and habitat for juvenile salmon and steelhead.

The project encompasses approximately 75.5 acres between Trinity River miles 108 and 110. Public documents identify a mix of federal, state and private parcels. The restoration design targets improved fish refuge and habitat during a range of river flows.

What is still ongoing?

The same project page lists revegetation through fall 2028. It says residents might have noticed trucks, straw and seed spreading, and limited construction noise. Because civil construction has finished, this should not be described as a new October groundbreaking.

Why the riverbank matters

River restoration aims to create a more diverse channel that includes sheltered areas where young fish can grow. Older straightened or disconnected reaches can lack low-velocity habitat. Replanting native riparian vegetation also helps stabilize some areas and supports ecosystem recovery.

For questions or updates, the program lists 530-623-1800. Recreational river conditions still depend on reservoir releases, storms and agency access notices; completed construction does not certify that a specific swimming or boating location is safe today.

Sources: Trinity River Restoration Program Sawmill Rehabilitation Project, September 2026 update, and project environmental documentation.

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