combined influences of this dewatering periodically traps native fish including large 

 numbers of the adult bull trout spawners in intermittent pools downstream of the 

 irrigation diversions during the late summer and early fall. 



The North Fork is one of three primary fluvial bull trout-spawning streams for the 

 Blackfoot River. Bull trout recovery and related "core area" fisheries conservation 

 projects involve developing compatible riparian grazing systems and eliminating fish 

 entrainment on five canals. More recently, the North Fork restoration project evolved to 

 a more holistic watershed approach, enrolling landowners in conservation easement 

 programs, incorporating water conservation measures in leaky ditches, and restoring 

 habitat conditions to six impaired tributaries (Murphy Spring Creek, Jacobsen Spring 

 Creek, Rock Creek, Kleinschmidt Creek, Dry Creek and Salmon Creeks). In 2004 and 

 2005, the Blackfoot Cooperators continued to work closely with landowners on a wide 

 range of conservation measures involving instream flow enhancement, riparian grazing 

 changes, and channel re-naturalization on North Fork and its tributaries. 



Fish Populations and other monitoring ' 



The North Fork of the Blackfoot River supports fluvial bull trout and fluvial 

 WSCT, as well as rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout in the lower basin. 

 Fisheries-related monitoring for 2004 and 2005 included: 1) bull trout redd surveys; 2) 

 assessments of juvenile fish abundance; 3) assessments of ditch screening projects; 4) 

 whirling disease studies in tributaries; and 5) water temperature recordings. 



Bull trout redds declined fi-om a high of 123 in 2000 to lows ranging fi-om 41 to 

 43 during the 2003 - 2005 monitoring period. Recent juvenile bull trout abundances in 

 four long-term monitoring sections of the North Fork are showing similar declines 

 (Figure 3). In 2005, we surveyed four irrigation canals (mile 8.7, 10.4, 11.6 and 15.5) 

 downstream of fish screens and found bull trout at the mile 11.6 and 15.5 canals 

 (Appendix A). Screens at these two sites should be evaluated. 



Temperature monitoring in the lower North Fork Blackfoot River (mile 2.3) 

 recorded a maximum summer temperature of 63.1 ° F in August, 12.7 ° F cooler than the 

 75.8 ° F detected in the Blackfoot River at Raymond Bridge (mile 60.2). 



Whirling disease infection levels remain low in the lower North Fork upstream of 

 its spring creek tributaries 

 (Kleinschmidt Creek and 

 Rock Creek and Jacobsen 

 Spring Creek). The disease 

 remains absent fi-om 

 upstream bull trout spawning 

 sites in the North Fork 

 (Results Part IV). 



Pearson Creek 



Restoration objectives: 



Restore the stream to its 

 original channel; improve 

 stream flows, access to, and 



1988 2000 



2001 



2002 2003 2004 



2006 



Figure 37. Density of age 1+ WSCT in Pearson Creek at mile 1.1, 

 1999-2005 



47 



