irrigation (between 2001-03), the monitoring site (mile 0.1) was dry in 2001 and 2003. 

 Improved grazing practice on public land upstream of the dewatered reach should help 

 offset habitat loss in lower Blanchard Creek. 



# of fish 



Clearwater River irrigation ditch assessment 



In order to assess entrainment of fish >4.0''' in total length, between May 23 and 

 July 24 2003, we sampled an irrigation canal located at rm 3.5 on the lower Clearwater 

 River using an Idaho picket weir trap set 0.8 miles below the diversion. Trapped game 

 fish included gravid and spent WSCT, rainbow trout, brown trout, mountain whitefish 

 and northern pike. Non-game fish included longnose dace, northern pikeminnow, 

 longnose sucker and largescale sucker. The highest densities of fish were observed in 

 June. 



Following trap removal 

 in September, we electrofished 

 the upper 0.8 mile of irrigation 

 ditch and netted 68 rainbow trout 

 and 11 brown along with lower 

 numbers of largescale suckers, 

 northern pikeminnow and 

 mountain whitefish (Appendix 

 A). We also observed abundant 

 densities of redside shiners, 

 YOY mountain whitefish and 

 crayfish in the ditch during 



trapping and electro-fishing. Figure 19. Relative abundance offish collected in the 



Clearwater ditch weir trap, summer 2003. 



140 

 120 

 100 

 80 

 60 

 40 

 20 



BVificr 



■ Rart)ow 



OLndas 



QN-pike 



QM.whtefish 



OKpikarinncw 



BLnsLd<er 



QLSlSUJO' 



Copper Creelt 



Copper Creek, the largest tributary to the lower Landers Fork entering at rm 3.6, is 

 a critical spawning and rearing stream for genetically pure fluvial WSCT and fluvial bull 

 trout in the upper Blackfoot River drainage. Copper Creek supports an entirely native 

 fish community basin- wide, and provides the only major spawning migration of fluvial 

 bull trout in the upper Blackfoot River basin. Copper Creek's consistent cold stream 

 temperatures help moderate temperatures in the lower Landers Fork. 



During August 2003, the Snow/Talon fire on the Helena National Forest ran 

 through the Copper Creek drainage. This high intensity, stand replacement wildfire 

 burned significant portions of the basin including a fluvial bull trout spawning site 

 approximately three weeks prior to spawning. This spawning area contained adult 

 staging bull trout, including one radioed adult bull trout as part of a 2002 and 2003 upper 

 Blackfoot River telemetry study. During fire fighting operations, a section of the Copper 

 Creek bull trout spawning area was subject to an accidental drop of fire retardant (Fire- 

 trol LCG-R), considered toxic to aquatic life. Following the fire and accidental retardant 

 drop, a fish kill was reported by the USFS. An investigation by FWP reported the 

 telemetered bull trout was also a casualty. Water temperature monitoring approximately 

 two miles downstream of the fire recorded no temperature increase during the fire period 

 (Appendix I). 



34 



