CANYON CREEK 



RESTORATION 



PROJECT 



This project was success/ulty completed alter 

 carefully exaluating and xurxeytng the area, 



designing a g<H>d restoration plitn, coordinating with 

 a great munher of partners to secure truilerials and 

 Jumtinfi. and hiring a contfyeienl ctmlractor 



onse rvat ion District 



406-449-5278 



Hi- J on 



The prohkm — llio C;inyon Creek system 

 has endured a vancty of unhealthy activiiics 

 over ihc past 100 or nxire years. Hisidncal 

 hydraulic mining, stream manipulation. 

 historical use of the riparian area hy 

 Uvcstock. and huilding of the highway 

 tHidgc have all combmed to result in large 

 volume.'* of hcdioad iiuterial coming down 

 the stream, loss of portions of ihe riparian 

 community, and resinclion of the flood- 

 plain. The deposition was sufricicnt to have 

 severely rcslncied the conveyance area of 

 the county bridge Immediately below the 

 bridge, the dcptwilion h;id completely filled 

 the historical channels, resulting in an 

 extremely braided channel ctm figuration 

 This syietn was not healthy, and iIk fishenes 

 habitat was poor. 



iitfurc construction — nou rlu ■•iilii < iin'i' 

 It widens the total area under the hridge. 



The solution — ITie Grady Ranch, along with v;u"ious other federal, state, 

 couiiiy. and local agencies, developed a stream and np;man restoration 

 plan thai included nKxlifications within the stream corridor to improve 

 function and riparian and fishenes habitat. The in^rovemenis included 

 changes in grazing m;magemeni of the strc;im corridor, along with channel 

 adiustmcnLs under Ihe bndge to improve conveyance. Or. more specifically: 



• The channel above the bridge needed to be narrowed and 

 slabdized nUh vegetation. 



• The channel approaching and under the bridge would need 



to be centered, with \tde spans acting as the primary floodplain. 



• Below the bndge, a new channel would have to be excavated. 



• Channel stabdity and the riparian plant community would have 

 to be re-established. 



• The entire project area would have to be excluded from 

 livestock grazing for three years to allow the vegetatwn to 

 become established. 



After construction — note that Ihe wilhtw has been 

 removed and placed on Ihe side of the channel. 

 Note also how the channel is no longer endangering 

 the bridge, 



Cooperatofs — 



tirady Ranch Company 



Lewis and Clark Conservation District 



Ixwis ;uid Clark County— Road and Bridge 



Montana IX-partmcnt of Iish. Wildlife and Parks- 

 luturc 1 ishencs Improvement l*rogram 



US I-ish and Wildlife Service— 

 Piuiners lor Iish and Wildlife Program 



Natural Resources Conscr\ation Service 



