Clark Fork Coalition

SINCE 2000, THE MISSOULA FIELD OFFICE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM) HAS ACQUIRED APPROXIMATELY 40,000 ACRES OF INDUSTRIAL TIMBERLANDS FROM THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN THE LOWER BLACKFOOT RIVER WATERSHED. MORE LANDS ARE SLATED TO BE PURCHASED IN THE COMING YEARS. THE ACQUISITION OF THESE TNC LANDS BRINGS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF AQUATIC RESOURCES INTO MISSOULA FIELD OFFICE MANAGEMENT, AND IT SUPPORTS THE SALISH AND PEND D OREILLE PEOPLE OF THE CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES (CSKT) GOAL OF RESTORING THREATENED BULL TROUT AND OTHER NATIVE FISH IN THEIR HISTORIC TERRITORIES. THE NEWLY ACQUIRED LANDS INCLUDE OCCUPIED BULL TROUT STREAM MILES AND BULL TROUT DESIGNATED CRITICAL HABITAT, AS WELL AS MORE MILES OF WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT TROUT OCCUPIED STREAMS AND HABITAT. TWO FACTORS PLACE NATIVE FISH, NAMELY BULL TROUT AND WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT TROUT, AT HIGH-RISK IN THE PROJECT AREA: 1) THE LACK OF LARGE IN-STREAM WOODY DEBRIS AND LARGE LIVE STREAMSIDE TREES AVAILABLE FOR WOODY DEBRIS RECRUITMENT, AND 2) HIGH ROAD DENSITIES THAT CHRONICALLY DELIVER SEDIMENT AND BLOCK FISH PASSAGE. TO RESTORE FISH POPULATIONS TO HISTORICAL LEVELS WILL REQUIRE ADDING WOOD TO STREAMS, AND REDUCING ROAD DENSITIES. THE GOAL OF THIS PARTNERSHIP PROJECT IS TO COOPERATE WITH THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT IN DEVELOPING ON-THE-GROUND RESTORATION PROJECTS TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF IN-STREAM WOOD AND STREAM SEDIMENTATION AND OTHER IMPACTS FROM ROADS. WE WILL INCREASE WATERSHED RESILIENCY AND RESTORE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH BLM MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES WHILE EXPANDING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.

THIS PROJECT IS PART OF A LONGTERM PROGRAM TO ELIMINATE BARRIERS IN THE UPPER CLARK FORK WATERSHED FOR BULL TROUT AND WESTLOPE CUTTHROAT, WITH AN ANTICIPATION OF COMPLETION BY THE END OF 2023 THE PROJECT WILL REPLACE A DEGRADING, PRIVATE IRRIGATION DIVERSION TO REPLACE IT WITH A MORE NATURAL ROCKY RIFFLE FOR FISH PASSAGE AND INSTALL A FISH SCREEN IN THE IRRIGATION DITCH THESE ACTIONS WILL CONNECT 30 MILES OF UPSTREAM HABITAT AND ELIMINATE ONE OF THE TWO HIGHEST DOCUMENTED ENTRAINMENT ISSUES FOR BULL TROUT AND WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT IN THE WATERSHED

THE CLARK FORK COALITION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION LOCATED IN MISSOULA COUNTY MONTANA WILL DEVELOP A WEBBASED DECISION SUPPORT TOOL FOR WATER MANAGERS AND CONSERVATION PROJECT PLANNERS THAT INTEGRATES THE ABUNDANCE OF WATER DATA ON KEY VARIABLES INFLUENCING INSTREAM FLOW AND WATER QUALITY. OVER 120 MILES OF THE UPPER CLARK FORK UCF RIVER HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED AS A PART OF THE LARGEST SUPERFUND COMPLEX IN THE UNITED STATES. ADDITIONALLY OVER 87 MILES OF THE UCF MAINSTEM HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS SEVERELY DEWATERED BY MONTANA FISH WILDLIFE AND PARKS. THE DECISION SUPPORT TOOL WILL INFORM AND EXPEDITE WATER MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION DECISIONS TO HELP NATURAL RESOURCE AGENCIES KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND COOPERATIVE WATERSHED GROUPS ADDRESS CRITICAL INSTREAM FLOW AND ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION NEEDS IN THE UCF BASIN. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES OF THE FLATHEAD NATION TROUT UNLIMITED THE WATERSHED RESTORATION COALITION AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA.

LOLO CREEK/MACLAY DITCH FISH SCREEN

EXPANDING WATERSHED RESTORATION CAPACITY IN THE UPPER CLARK FORK BASIN

ALVI BECK FISH PASSAGE AND SCREENING

LOST HORSE CREEK PASSAGE PROJECT

THE CLARK FORK COALITION AND PARTNERS WILL RECONSTRUCT FOUR IRRIGATION DIVERSIONS AND INSTALL FOUR SMALL FISH SCREENS IN UPPER BROWNS GULCH, A TRIBUTARY TO SILVER BOW CREEK NEAR BUTTE, MONTANA. THE SILVER BOW CREEK WATERSHED, A 350-SQUARE MILE BASIN AT THE TOP OF THE CLARK FORK RIVER SYSTEM, HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO A SUCCESSFUL SUPERFUND CLEANUP OF MINING WASTES, AND IS NOW POPULATED BY WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT TROUT THAT SURVIVED IN UNCONTAMINATED HEADWATERS. BROWNS GULCH IS ONE OF THOSE UNCONTAMINATED HEADWATERS. RECONNECTING THE UPPER BROWNS GULCH CUTTHROAT POPULATION TO THE MAINSTEM OF SILVER BOW CREEK REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT OF UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM FISH PASSAGE THROUGH THE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS ON BROWNS GULCH. THIS PROJECT WILL RECONSTRUCT DIVERSIONS, AND INSTALL FISH SCREENS AT FOUR SITES CLUSTERED AROUND ONE RANCH, COMPLEMENTING OTHER FISH PASSAGE AND HABITAT IMPROVEMENTS ON BROWNS GULCH FUNDED BY MULTIPLE PARTNERS IN THE LAST 9 YEARS.

COTTONWOOD CREEK FISH PASSAGE