1 . STREAM 

 Sullivan Creek 



2. DESCRIPTION 



Sullivan Creek originates on the east slope of the Anaconda-Pintlar 

 Range at the Continental Divide. The stream flows in a southerly direction 

 for approximately 10.4 miles to its juncture with Deep Creek, a tributary 

 of the Big Hole River. The major tributary of Sullivan Creek is Bear Trap 

 Gulch Creek. The 9.7 square mile drainage is characterized by high alpine 

 meadows, and small lakes, steep heavily timbered slopes, and relatively 

 broad willow bottoms as the elevation decreases. The major vegetation types 

 are coniferous forest in the upper reaches and willow-grass-sedge riparian 

 zone at lower elevations. Numerous channels and beaver ponds characterize 

 the stream in the lower riparian region. The average gradient of the 14.3 

 foot wide channel is 60.8 feet per 1,000 feet. The majority of the Sullivan 

 Creek drainage is owned by the USPS with smaller portions under MDFWP and 

 private control . 



Lands within the Sullivan Creek drainage are used for recreational 

 hunting, fishing, trapping, camping and winter sports. The willow bottom 

 riparian zone is considered to be important moose winter range (Mike Frisina, 

 personal communication). No estimate of fishing pressure is available for 

 Sullivan Creek; however, some fishermen use was observed. Past commercial 

 uses of the drainage include timber harvest, livestock grazing and diversion 

 of water for irrigation. Present commercial uses include livestock grazing 

 and heavy timber harvest in the upper drainage. 



Chemical analyses were performed on water samples collected during 

 the summer of 1980. The data revealed that Sullivan Creek has excellent 

 water quality marked by very low specific conductance, alkalinity, hardness, 

 suspended sediment and concentrations of dissolved ions. The stream is a 

 weak calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate water of nearly neutral pH. Timber 

 harvest and road construction in the upper reaches of the drainage could 

 impair water quality in Sullivan Creek through sedimentation. 



3. FISHERIES 



A 1,000 foot section of Sullivan Creek was electrof ished on August 6 

 and August 20, 1980. Brook trout and mottled sculpins were the only game 

 and nongame species collected in the section. Electrof ishing survey data 

 are presented in Table 24. 



Table 24. Summary of electrof ishing survey for a 1,000 foot section of 



Sullivan Creek (T2N, R12W, Sec 32A) on August 5 and August 20, 1980. 



Species No. Captured Length Range (inches' 



Brook Trout 375 2.3 - 9.5 



Mottled Sculpin 



- 58 



