RESULTS PART III: RIVER RESTORATION TRIBUTARY ASSESSMENTS 



As a continuation of eight previous reports detailing fisheries investigations of 

 Blackfoot River tributaries (Peters 1990; Pierce and Peters 1990; Pierce, Peters and 

 Swanberg 1997; Pierce and Schmetterling 1999; Pierce and Podner 2000; Pierce, Podner 

 and McFee, 2001; 2002: Pierce, Anderson and Podner 2004), this section summarizes the 

 2004 and 2005 restoration actions and fisheries-related monitoring for 26 streams. Fish 

 population statistics, catch and sizes and density estimates, for these streams are located 

 in Appendices A and B, respectively. / 



Ashby Creek 



Restoration objectives: Protect the genetic purity of a WSCT population in the upper 

 Ashby Creek watershed by using an existing wetland as a migration barrier, and improve 

 WSCT habitat by creating a natural channel that provides complexity, increases riffle- 

 pool habitat features and available spawning substrate and increases shade and small 

 diameter wood recruitment to the channel. Improve and re-establish wetland 

 functionality. 



Project Summary 



Ashby Creek, a 2"** order tributary in the Union Creek basin enters Camas Creek 

 at stream mile 0.5. Upper reaches originate in forested areas including Plum Creek and 

 BLM properties before entering private ranch lands near mile 3.0. Below stream mile 

 3.0, Ashby Creek has been severely altered by agricultural practices. Alterations involve 

 the loss of the historical chaimel to farming and irrigation, livestock degradation of 

 streambanks, loss of woody plant communities, an inter-basin transfer of water to 

 Arkansas Creek and associated dewatering of the channel and downstream wetlands. 



Over the last several years a comprehensive restoration project has been in the 

 development phases, with implementation plarmed for 2006. The project will involve 



15 



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 o 



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c 

 Q 



landscape protection measures 

 (conservation easements), 



creation of -17,000' of new 

 stream charmel and 



revegetation, upgrades to a 

 diversion structure, riparian 

 grazing changes, instream flow 

 enhancement and wetland 

 restoration - all within the 

 context of a working 

 agricultural operation. 



Fish populations and other 

 monitoring 



In 2005, FWP established pre-project control (mile 4.0) and treatment (mile 3.0) 

 fish population monitoring sections in order to measure the influence of the upcoming 

 project (Figure 13). On August 8"', during the peak irrigation season we measured flows 

 at 2.6 cfs above the diversion and 0.9 below the diversion. This 0.9 cfs downstream value 

 in expected to approximate the minimum instream sunmier flows in the new channel. 



Mile 3.0 



Mile 4.0 



Figure 13. Densities offish >4.0" at two sites 

 in Ashby Creek, 2005. > c 



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