individual populations to drought. With time, cumulative habitat improvements should 

 improve population resiliency and allow populations to recovery more quickly following 

 drought. We also inventoried fish populations and identified fisheries impairments on 

 Little Fish Creek, Snowbank Creek (Results Part IV) and upper Cottonwood Creek 

 (Results Part III). 



In 2002 and 2003, the Blackfoot Cooperators developed or implemented 

 restoration projects on 12 streams (Ashby Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Elk Creek, Nevada 

 Spring Creek. Nevada Creek, North Fork of the Blackfoot River, Pearson Creek, 

 Poorman Creek. Rock Creek, Wales Creek, Wasson Creek and the lower Clearwater 

 River). Projects were directed at improving habitat (8 streams) and fish passage (5 

 streams), minimizing fish losses to irrigation diversions (4 streams) and improving water 

 quality (7 streams) (Results Part III). 



As projects in the Blackfoot Watershed have expanded in scope and complexity, 

 our collective need to monitor projects and review restoration methods have increased as 

 well. To date, the Blackfoot Cooperators have modified methods to include 1) 

 simplifying fish ladder and fish screen designs, 2) hiring personnel to assist with grazing 

 plans and the special maintenance needs of fish screens, and 3) clarifying landowner 

 agreements regarding stewardship and maintenance expectations. As we continue to 

 monitor fish populations on project streams, we are observing grazing management 

 deficiencies on many restoration projects. These deficiencies seem to involve 1) the lack 

 of some livestock managers to implement the principles of proper streamside grazing, 2) 

 lack of fence maintenance, 3) trespass cattle, and 4) the traditional problem of agency- 

 developed grazing plans for uplands, with insufficient consideration of the special needs 

 of riparian areas. Improved planning and increased monitoring of riparian grazing would 

 help ensure projects better meet fisheries and riparian health objectives. 



Pursuing recent methodologies to help minimize fish loss to irrigation diversions, 

 we continued to evaluate the efficacy of a turbulent fountain fish screen. This fish screen, 

 originally designed as a self-cleaning trash screen, appears to have high potenfial for 

 effectively reducing fish losses to irrigafion ditches. Our prototype fountain has no 

 moving parts, operates entirely from hydraulic pressure, and offers a low maintenance, 

 cost-effective option for screening fish (Results Part IV). 



Two additional significant fisheries conservation measures advanced in 2002 and 

 2003: the impending sale of large tracts of industrial forest (Plum Creek Timberlands) to 

 the Nature Conservancy (TNC); and the decision to remove Milltown Dam from the 

 junction of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers. The TNC-Plum Creek land exchange 

 will prevent subdivision on -89,000 acres of land, most of which is located in bull trout 

 core areas or streams supporting genetically pure WSCT. The State and EPA decision to 

 remove Milltown Dam will restore river and riparian habitats in the area of Milltown 

 Reservoir when implemented. Milltown Dam has eliminated upstream movements of all 

 migratory species since its construction in 1907. Beyond fish passage and channel 

 restoration, dam removal should eliminate northern pike spawning habitat, a species with 

 a dietary preference for bull trout and other salmonids (Schmetterling 2001). 



Identifying life history tendencies and important spawning and wintering areas are 

 critical to the restoration and long-term conservation of Blackfoot River native fish. To 

 better understand movement and habitat use in the upper Blackfoot River, we completed 



