trout redd counts began to level out and in 2003 declined 14% from 101 redds in 2002 to 

 83 in 2003. The 2003 declines are consistent with other spawning site in the Blackfoot 

 during the fourth year of the drought. Assessments of juvenile bull trout abundance at 

 long-term monitoring stations showed an upward trend through the 1990s and generally 

 stable between 2000 and 2002 (Figure 28). 



In 1998, lower Monture Creek tested negative for whirling disease, but tested 

 positive in July 2000 with a 1.7 mean grade infection, which increased to a 3.2 mean 

 grade infection in 2002. Upstream bull trout spawning sites of Monture Creek tested 

 negative for WD in 2003. 



Nevada Spring Creek 



Restoration objectives: restore habitat suitable for cold water trout; improve downstream 

 water quality, and reduce thermal stress in Nevada Creek and the Blackfoot River. 



Project Summary 



Nevada Spring Creek, a tributary of lower Nevada Creek, originates from an 

 artesian spring and flows 3.2 miles to its junction with Nevada Creek at stream mile 6.2. 

 The spring produces between six and nine cfs. Wasson Creek, a small, basin-fed tributary 

 {see Wasson Creek section) to Nevada Spring Creek enters near the spring source with a 

 base flow of ~2 cfs during the non-irrigation season. Water temperatures at the spring 

 source are a constant year-around 44-47 °F (Appendix I). However, summer water 

 temperatures increase to >70 °F within 1 .6 miles of the source due to the over-widened 

 condition of the channel (Pierce et al. 2002). In addition to warm water, Nevada Spring 

 Creek contributes elevated levels of nitrate and phosphate to lower Nevada Creek (Pierce 

 and Peters 1990). 



A comprehensive habitat restoration project for the upper 1.6 miles of Nevada 

 Spring Creek was completed in 2001-02. The project entailed the complete 

 reconstruction of Nevada Spring Creek and riparian grazing changes. In fall 2003, the 

 lower 1.6 miles of Nevada Spring Creek was also reconstructed to a deep, narrow E-type 

 chaimel. 



Table 3. Pre-and-post project channel measurements for Nevada Spring Creek from 

 stream mile 1.6 to 3.2. 



Measurement Pre-project* Post-project %change 



Stream length (ft) 



Sinuosity 



Wetted surface area (acres) 



Wetted width (ft) 



W/D ratio 



Pool Frequency (#/1000 ft) 



Mean pool depth (ft) 



* /row Pierce 1990. 



44 



