Fish Populations and other sampling 



According to local accounts, Lincoln Spring Creek historically contained bull 

 trout and WSCT, although none have been recorded in sampling undertaken in either 

 1994 or 2004. In 2004, FWP sampled fisheries at one location downstream of Lincoln 

 (mile 1 .5). The survey found a community of sculpins and low densities of brown trout 

 (CPUE of 5.1). Juvenile brown trout were present in low numbers and concentrated in 

 areas of dense cover formed of beaver caches. On June 15"', 2004, we measured flow at 

 18.2 cfs immediately downstream of Lincoln (mile 3) and at 25.6 cfs at mile 2 (Highway 

 200) (Appendix D). Water temperature monitoring at these same two locations found 

 maximum summer temperatures of 57.4 "F compared to a high of 61.5 °F at the 

 downstream site (Appendix H). Whirling disease testing in 2004 revealed a severe (grade 

 5) infection. 



McCabe Creek 



Restoration objective: Restore instream flows and habitat conditions for bull trout and 

 WSCT. Eliminate entrainment of WSCT to irrigation ditches 



Project Summary *t '■•■f — 



McCabe Creek, a cold basin-fed tributary to lower Dick Creek, enters at stream 

 mile 3.8 with a base flow of ~4 cfs. McCabe Creek begins as a steep mountain stream in 

 its headwaters, before entering knob-and-kettle topography in the lower basin. In lower 

 reaches, McCabe Creek passes through a beaver-influenced wetland bog before entering 

 Dick Creek, a lower tributary to Monture Creek. 



McCabe Creek has a long history of adverse fisheries impacts related to channel 

 alterations and agricultural activities. These include intensive riparian grazing, physical 

 alterations to the channel, poorly designed road crossings, chronic dewatering, and fish 

 losses to irrigation ditches. 



A comprehensive restoration project for McCabe Creek began in 1999 and was 

 completed in 2002. This project: 1) consolidated four irrigation ditches into one pipeline 

 and screened the intake; 2) converted flood to sprinkler irrigation; 3) restored habitat 

 conditions including the placement of instream wood and shrub plantings along 1/2 mile 

 of stream; 4) incorporated necessary riparian livestock management changes; and 5) 

 replaced a county road culvert with an open-bottom box culvert. In 2001-02, the project 

 completed the irrigation conversion, developed off-stream livestock watering, and 

 reconstructed ~l/2 mile of stream channel. Additional grazing management measures are 

 planned for the immediate project area in 2006. 



Fish Populations 



Benefits to fish population relate to increasing stream flows, reducing water 

 temperatures in Dick Creek, eliminating WSCT losses to ditches, and restoring habitat 

 complexity to a damaged stream channel. 



McCabe Creek is a WSCT dominated stream, with brook trout present in lower 

 stream reaches. Due to cool summer temperatures, McCabe Creek likely supported bull 

 trout historically. In 1999, prior to habitat restoration, we established a fish population 

 survey section in a degraded sectiofl of stream (mile 2.2), an area of low habitat 



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