Bull trout redd counts have been upward trending since restrictive angling 

 regulations in 1990, but also show a sharp recent decline in 2004 and 2005 (Figure 2). 

 This downturn is consistent with other drought-related bull trout declines in the Blackfoot 

 watershed. Likewise, assessments of juvenile bull trout abundance at a long-term 

 monitoring station revealed increases through the 1990s, but also a recent decline 

 proportional to 



declining redds 

 (Figure 3). 



Preliminary 

 results from a 

 rainbow trout 



telemetry study 

 show Monture 



Creek to be the 

 primary spawning 

 tributary for the 

 Blackfoot River 



rainbow 

 upstream 

 Clearwater 

 Spawning 

 primarily in 



trout 



of 



River. 



occurred 



lower 



Mile 0.4 



Mile 2.2 



Figure 29. CPUE for juvenile rainbow trout at two lower Monture Creek 

 samoline locations. 1998-2005. 



Monture Creek, but extended upstream as far as lower Dunham Creek (Results Part IV). 



Lower Monture Creek tested positive for whirling disease in 2000. The disease 

 has since increased in intensity to a mean grade infection of 4.8 in 2005. Surveys of 

 juvenile rainbow trout in infected waters of lower Monture Creek indicate rainbow 

 declines near the mouth but stable densities at an upstream site (Figure 29). Whirling 

 disease testing at upstream bull trout spawning sites of Monture Creek remained negative 

 when last tested in 2003. 



Spawning area assessments at two sites were completed in 2004 and 2005 with 

 results located in Results Part IV. Watefr temperature data is located in Appendix H. 



Murphy Spring Creek 



Restoration objectives: Restore habitat conditions suitable to WSCT and juvenile bull 

 trout; prevent irrigation ditch losses; maintain minimum instream flows and provide 

 rearing and recruitment for fluvial bull trout and cutthroat trout to the North Fork 



Project Summary '■ 



( ' -A 



.►■!. 



41 



