Summary of Recommendations 



a) Take pro-active steps to 

 insure that no additional 

 sediment loading occurs 

 as a result of new land 

 disturbance activity. 



b) Stabilize all existing prob- 

 lem roads and/or past ac- 

 tivities which are continu- 

 ing to deliver sediment to 

 streams. 



C. Westslope Cutthroat Trout: Con- 

 tinue or begin monitoring Flat- 

 head Basin streams having known 

 areas of concentrated spawning 

 by migratory westslope cutthroat 

 trout. At present, the Montana 

 Department of Fish, Wildlife and 

 Parks has identified eight such 

 streams in the basin. (See list in 

 Appendix G.) 

 i. Threatened Streams. 



When the following stream 

 criterion is met, 



•the percentage of fine 

 materials in spawning 

 gravels in any given year 

 is greater than 35%, 

 the stream is considered threat- 

 ened as a westslope cutthroat 

 trout spawning stream. 

 If any disturbance activity is 

 planned in the watershed, the 

 land owner should: 



a) Take active precautions 

 to minimize new sedi- 

 ment loading to the 

 stream. 



b) Steps also should be taken 

 to ameliorate past road- 

 ing or other human land 

 disturbances that continue 

 to contribute sediments to 

 streams. 



ii. Impaired Streams. 



When the following stream 

 criterion is met, 



• the percentage of fine 

 materials in spawning 

 gravels in any given year 

 is greater than 40%, 

 the stream is considered im- 

 paired as a westslope cutthroat 

 trout spawning stream. 

 If any disturbance activity is 

 planned in the watershed, the 

 land owner should: 



a) Take pro-active steps to 

 insure that no additional 

 sediment loading occurs 

 as a result of new land 

 disturbance activity. 



b) Stabilize all existing prob- 

 lem roads and/or past ac- 

 tivities which are continu- 

 ing to deliver sediment to 

 streams. 



D. Streams not supporting bull trout 

 spawning and/or rearing or con- 

 centrated westslope cutthroat trout 

 spawning. 



i. There is currently insufficient 

 data to establish thresholds for 

 unacceptable percentages of 

 fine material in spawning grav- 

 els used by fish species other 

 than bull trout and westslope 

 cutthroat trout. Therefore, we 

 recommend further study of 

 sediment effects on the fish 

 species found in these streams. 

 18. Ensure strict adherence to BMPs by 

 regular inspection during harvest/site 

 preparation activities followed by moni- 

 toring field audits on sales located in 

 watersheds meeting criteria for threat- 

 ened or impaired bull trout or cutthroat 



Flathead Basin Cooperative Program Final Report 



Page 159 



