Stream restoration practice is burgeoning in the State of Alaska generally and in Interior Alaska and the Yukon River watershed that feeds Western Alaska specifically. The biological goals of these restorations, at least implicitly if not stated explicitly, are to improve conditions for Alaskan freshwater and anadromous fishes, most notably Pacific salmon. In the face of recent catastrophic declines in Yukon River Chinook salmon, restoration offers one of the few alternatives for not just slowing habitat degradation and population collapse, but in affirmatively increasing habitat availability and resilience for growing salmon populations. However, widespread restoration practice is relatively new to this region, which differs dramatically in climate, hydrology, geography, and biota from most conditions in the contiguous United States and temperate Europe where stream restoration now has a multi-decadal history of practice. Further, many restoration outcomes from those lower latitude regions have shown dispiriting results in terms of improving biotic in-stream conditions. Collectively this points to a need for assessment that explores the efficacy of stream restoration specific to Interior Alaska, and particularly for improving conditions such as habitat and food availability for salmonids. In this presentation I will synthesize ongoing research and preliminary results from my research lab in assessing restoration effectiveness within Yukon River watershed streams. I will focus on how habitat features included in each of these restorations influence macroinvertebrate community and other food web responses to restoration. I emphasize these resources because they represent the food base available for salmonids, including juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus). I will conclude by exploring how applied science may guide future restoration practice to improve conditions for Pacific salmon throughout the Yukon River watershed.