Tolan Creek, Headwaters to the East Fork

Deep Stream Restoration and Wetland Re-establishment

Location

Tolan Creek

Goals

2025: Initial road re-habitat and stream channel stabilization to be completed by fall 2025, with revegetation and spraying occurring simultaneously. 2026: Additional road re-habitat, stream and floodplain restoration and plantings. 2027: Monitoring, adaptive management, additional active restoration as needed.

Reasoning

Tolan Creek, a tributary to the East Fork of the Bitterroot River, was heavily impacted by the Trail Ridge Fire—which burned 62% of the watershed at moderate to high severity. The fire destroyed vegetation and soil organic matter, making the area highly susceptible to erosion, leading to widespread debris flows in 2023. The debris flows scoured riparian vegetation and caused the failure of several road-stream crossings, including a major culvert that is completely blocked with large woody debris. The significant sediment deposition in Tolan Creek is threatening aquatic habitats and increasing the risk of erosion and sedimentation in downstream reaches. The continued erosion of unstable debris fields could lead to long-term degradation of water quality and fish habitat in the East Fork Bitterroot River.

BWP staff first became interested in engaging in the Tolan Creek watershed after hearing from multiple community members in June 2023 about excessively “muddy” runoff in the East Fork. Speculation during the Cash for Cutthroats event was that a landowner upstream of Lazy J Cross was illegally using heavy equipment in the stream channel. Later that year, when visiting with a landowner on the East Fork, whose property contains the mouth of Tolan Creek, he told of the destruction and aftermath of the fires that created the sediment pulses and shared a video he took from a helicopter ride around the watershed.

Thanks to a partnership with the Bitterroot National Forest, BWP aims to restore the Tolan Creek watershed to a stable and functioning ecosystem that supports critical habitats for Bull Trout and westslope cutthroat trout. The area is also known for its elk hunting—the 2000 burns opened up the canopy and created a lot of good forage. During field visits partners have seen an abundance of moose, deer, and bear scat.

The project will improve water quality in the East Fork Bitterroot River, which is vital for local fisheries and recreation. The restored watershed will provide long-term ecological and economic benefits to the community by supporting critical habitat and the recreation economy dependent on cool, clean water—especially in the headwaters of the Bitterroot.

Project Description

The project will restore floodplain connectivity, enhance fish and wildlife habitats, improve water quality, and increase groundwater recharge by returning naturally slower stream flows. This is prime habitat for bald eagles, bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout, elk, moose, and more.

With the BNF, we will restore flow and drainage patterns across 9.4 miles of road, remove failing culverts, and stabilize stream channels with low-tech engineering processes that mimic natural features.
These stabilization efforts will protect critical Bull Trout spawning and rearing habitats, reduce sediment pollution (dust and debris causing muddy waters), and allow for recovery of native plant communities.

Other efforts to return this extremely degraded habitat to it’s healthy state include re-contouring of valley bottoms, installation of floodplain features that will slow water, allowing it to sink down and recharge groundwater, and naturally crafted in-stream structures that prevent continued extreme erosion of banksides.

Timeline

2025 – 2029

Partners

BWP is currently collaborating with Bitterroot National Forest, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and the local community and volunteers, to implement the project.

Cost

$100,000+