Wheelbarrow Creek Fish Passage

Restoring Fish Passage & Aquatic Habitat

Location

Stevensville, MT

Goals

Improve migration and population connectivity of pure strain Westslope Cutthroat.

Reasoning

Wheelbarrow Creek is an important cold-water fishery and tributary to the larger Threemile Creek in Stevensville. Threemile Creek, which empties into the Bitterroot, is polluted by fine, habitat-degrading sediment.

Porous rock soils and heavily used gravel roads have caused chronic, elevated levels of sediment pollution in Wheelbarrow Creek, degrading habitat for aquatic species and negatively impacting fish survival. Plus, the concrete pipe for water passage under the road was undersized, and led to streamside erosion and degradation of fish movement. This barrier to migration was especially important to eliminate since pure strain Westslope Cutthroat live in Wheelbarrow Creek.

Project Description

To improve passage and habitat connectivity for Westslope cutthroat trout, we removed the undersized pipe (a culvert), and constructed a bridge in its place to allow free, full passage for water. Several natural boulder structures (boulder weirs) were strategically placed in the stream to slow and redirect water, which can help prevent continued streamside erosion while allowing fish to pass.

To reduce sediment pollution and restore water quality and habitat in the creek, our partners at Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks strategically enhanced and stabilized 1.7 miles of gravel access road to ensure proper water drainage. Road treatments included construction of rolling dips to properly drain the road; stabilization of drainage points off the road with slash and rock to prevent erosion in heavy precipitation/runoff; and installation of gravel in key locations to stabilize the granitic soils and keep them in place.

Timeline

2019 – 2023

Partners

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Future Fisheries Improvement Program, The Neibergs Family

Cost

$90,000