Trout Stream & Habitat Improvement Projects
2007 - 2008
South Leigh
Creek Diversion (Idaho)
Total Project Costs: $209,068
Friends of the Teton River will retrofit the Hog Canal irrigation
structure with fish screens to prevent fish entrainment, thereby
increasing Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations in the upper Teton
River watershed. Native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) have declined
by 95% in the past few years due to habitat loss and entrainment. The
existing diversion structure on Hog Canal will be retrofitted with a new
solar powered vertical belt fish screens, a fish by-pass pipe, new trash
racks, and new headgates. The project will increase flows in South Leigh
Creek by replacing headgates that leave several cubic feet per second of
valuable water when they are supposed to be closed.
Bruneau River
Non-native Fish Exclusion (Idaho)
Total Project Costs: $55,000
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will install a sloped velocity
fish-barrier in the Bruneau River to prevent establishment of non-native
fish, particularly smallmouth bass. The Bruneau River remains one of the
few drainages in the west that does not play host to non-native trout
species and acts as a refuge, or stronghold, for nine species of native
fish including three species of special concern: the bull trout
(threatened status under ESA), desert redband (petitioned for
listing under ESA) and leopard dace. At this time, the current diversion
dam is unstable and could fail at any time. Replacing the diversion dam
with a new design and modifying the adjacent irrigation structures to
accommodate the new structure will prevent access and intrusion by
non-native species in order to protect native species.
Palisades
Creek Restoration (Idaho)
Total Project Costs: $80,000
Trout Unlimited will improve the Yellowstone cutthroat trout
population in Palisades Creek and the South Fork of the Snake River by
restoring spawning and rearing habitat in Palisades Creek that has been
impacted by grazing. The project will re-grade eroded stream banks,
re-vegetate riparian area and restore off-channel rearing habitat. Trout
Unlimited will work with the Palisades Reservoir managers to adjust
release flows to mimic spring freshets. This type of spike is an
important part of the hydrologic cycle the native trout need for their
spawning and rearing to be successful. This project has the full
cooperation of a number of private landowners as well as state and
federal agencies.
Lincoln
Spring Creek Restoration (Montana)
Total Project Costs: $114,146
The Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited will restore a high
quality spring creek capable of maintaining complex habitat suitable to
bull trout and fluvial westslope cutthrout trout in the upper Blackfoot
River watershed of western Montana. The project will involve the
reconstruction of 7,783 feet of the spring creek by narrowing and
deepening the channel, increasing stream sinuosity, and placing instream
wood and sod mats along the stream banks in order to facilitate recovery
of the stream system. This project will remove two undersized culverts
that block fish passage and cause channel impairment. Two irrigation
diversions will be upgraded to include fish screens. The plan also
includes a voluntary landowner agreement who has committed to managing
his livestock according to a land management and re-vegetation plan to
protect the areas of restoration of his stream banks. This project is
strongly supported by the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Department and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Westslope
Cutthroat Trout Total (Montana)
Total Project Costs: $140,000
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will construct fish barriers on the
north fork of Highwood Creek and Smith Creek in the Highwood Mountains
for the purpose of restoring westslope cutthroat trout habitat in north
central Montana. The project will increase the total length of stream
holding non-hybridized westslope cutthroat trout from 2 miles to about
6.5 miles of stream. Since non-native brook and rainbow trout exist in
this stretch, as well as hybridized westslope cutthroat trout, fish
passage barriers are needed in this case to keep out the non-natives and
to protect the genetically pure native trout as an intact population.
The local private landowner as well as the U.S. Forest Service are
partners in the project and strongly support implementation.
Pilot Montana
Anti-Entrainment Program (Montana)
Total Project Costs: $32,000
Montana Trout will develop a pilot program to create partnerships,
provide educational outreach, and coordinate project plans to install
fish screens at irrigation diversion points in Montana streams and
rivers. Given the steep decline of the native trout throughout the west,
and the reluctance of many landowners to install fish screens due to the
cost and maintenance issues, the problem will only get worse if not
addressed in a cost effective manner. Montana Trout proposes to work
with a number of landowners, state and federal agencies to find a way to
make it more feasible, affordable and desirable for them to install the
fish screens and assist with the recovery of the native trout. The
results of this pilot program will be disseminated to other areas of the
west where entrainment is also a large issue and barrier to native fish
recovery efforts.
High Lake
Watershed Trout Restoration (Montana)
Total Project Costs: $79,300
Yellowstone National Park, Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences Program will
establish a viable genetically pure population of westslope cutthroat
trout in High Lake using multiple brood sources, including those from
Last Chance Creek, Geode Creek, and the Sun Ranch Upper Missouri River
areas. Historically, westslope cutthroat trout occupied over 1000 square
kilometers of stream habitats in Yellowstone National Park. Today, only
one pure population is known to exist in an unnamed tributary (now named
"Last Chance Creek"). In 2006, the National Park Service removed
non-native trout from High Lake and are now trying to re-establish
the native westslope cutthroat trout which will take several years.
Using brood stocks from nearby rivers in the Upper Missouri, which are
most genetically similar to the original native westslope cutthroat
trout, the National Park Service hopes to establish a large enough
self-sustaining population in High Lake to use as a brood source and be
able to then re-establish other runs in historic habitat in the region.
This project is strongly supported by state and federal agencies, the
Sun Ranch Institute, and Trout Unlimited as well as other Montana and
Wyoming non-profits.
North Fork
Humboldt River Riparian Protection (Nevada)
Total Project Costs: $30,000
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest will replace and/or construct up to
three miles of fencing and install a cattle guard on the north fork of
the Humboldt River to prevent unauthorized livestock trespass, thereby
decreasing cumulative impact to native Lahontan cutthroat trout, a
federally threatened native trout species. This project will restore
more than 5.5 miles of stream and 330 acres of riparian area. This
project was identified as a high priority to achieve the Lahontan
cutthroat trout recovery goals. The U.S. Forest Service is committed to
working with the local landowners of adjacent allotments to control
livestock passage and grazing, and to restore the habitat to assure
protection and recovery of the Lahontan cutthroat trout.
Yellowstone
Cutthroat Trout Status And Restoration (Idaho, Wyoming)
Total Project Costs: $59,463
Henry's Fork Foundation will update and complete the Yellowstone
Cutthroat Trout Status and Summary and evaluate trends. The project will
restore cutthroat trout within about 31 kilometers of four streams. This
is a multi-year effort that HFF and its partners have undertaken in the
Henry's Fork and Sink Drainages. The proposed project will complete the
YCT Status Summary, providing the most comprehensive assessment of these
drainages to date, furthering the goals of YCT conservation and
restoration. Twenty-two streams were evaluated for YCT restoration and
reintroduction in past years, and this project also proposes to remove
non-native brook trout in four streams and prepare them for YCT habitat.
Fish Creek
Channel Enhancement (Wyoming)
Total Project Costs: $20,000
Teton Conservation District will assist the Snake River Ranch
in improving stream function, habitat and spawning on native cutthroat
trout in Fish Creek, a class 1 cold water trout stream near Wilson,
Wyoming, using natural in-stream structures, dredging and excavation,
and the addition of clean spawning gravels. Fish Creek, a tributary to
the Snake River, was historic habitat for the Yellowstone cutthroat
trout but has been degraded over time causing habitat loss and erosion
from poor land management practices adjacent to the stream. The project
area has a minimum habitat diversity but can be restored through
recontouring of the streambanks, stabilizing the riparian areas with
native vegetation and creating instream complexity of pools, riffles,
and runs to provide more habitat for the native trout. In addition,
through the addition of specific size spawning gravels in historic upper
sections of Fish Creek, Yellowstone cutthroat trout can be
re-established and reach self-sustaining populations over time. This
project area is near Grand Teton National Park and is supported by state
and federal agencies.
Healthy Kids
Healthy Watersheds (Wyoming)
Total Project Costs: $19,185
Snake River Fund and Bridger-Teton National Forest will lead
a series of service learning programs that draw underserved young people
from the community, educating them on forest issues such as invasive
species, fisheries/clean water, wildlife-friendly habitat, water safety,
and stream restoration. The project will involve students in hands-on
stream restoration projects, and control of aquatic nuisance species,
together with macro-invertebrate (stream insect) monitoring and studies.
This project is aimed at teaching student stewardship ethics and a
better appreciation of the outdoors as well as biology out in nature.
Many of the students from underserved communities can rarely afford to
participate in outdoor classroom activities. Given the resources
available, the unique landscape and watersheds of the Snake
River/Yellowstone basin, and numbers of volunteers eager to work with
youth and involve them in these activities as "junior watershed
managers", this project is designed to have a high quality community
impact as well as on-the-ground restoration benefits.
For more information, contact: Krystyna Wolniakowski,
wolniakowski@nfwf.org,
503-417-8700 extension 6005. |
