year. This will give adequate protection for spawning grayling and permit a return 

 to the Upper Red Rock Lake before fishing begins. 



"DAILY LIMITS — If is recommended that the present limit of five grayling be 

 reduced to two. The aggregate limit on cutthroat and lake trout should remain at 



15 fish, not to exceed 10 pounds and one fish Size, number, and weight 



restrictions should be removed on rainbow trout, eastern brook trout, and 

 wrhitefish. 



"IRRIGATION — It is recommended that an investigation be made of legal 'water 

 rights' for creeks entering the refuge. The most important would be Red Rock, Tom, 

 Odell, and Metzel Creeks. The latter three are almost completely dewatered where 

 they enter the refuge for certain periods during the summer. 



"Control of irrigation on the refuge should be vested in the refuge manager. 

 At present, water from lake tributaries (mainly Red Rock and Tom Creeks) is used 

 to irrigate hay and grazing land leased to ranchers by the refuge. Irrigation should 

 be curtailed wherever possible on the refuge, and no new developments should 

 be permitted. Where permitted, irrigation should not begin before July 1 5 in order 

 to protect the grayling spawners and fry. 



"ARTIFICIAL STOCKING — The complete cessation of stocking exotic species into 

 this area was recommended as early as 1950. This recommendation should be 

 strictly adhered to. Only grayling and cutthroat trout should be stocked in the 

 drainage above the Lima Dam. Further experimental stocking of grayling fry may 

 meet writh success. Stocking of grayling (six or more inches in length) in the 

 more heavily fished waters such as Elk Lake, Odell and Red Rock Creeks would 

 probably provide some grayling fishing. 



"BEAVER CONTROL — It is recommended that all beaver and beaver dams be 

 removed from tributaries of the Upper Red Rock Lake. Elk Springs Creek, part of 

 Tom Creek, and six small spring creeks on the south shore of Upper Red Rock Lake 

 have spawning areas not accessible to grayling because of beaver dams. Beaver 

 dam removal above the last springs in Tom Creek is not recommended until a 

 minimum flow of water is established by enforcement of legal water rights. Beaver 

 dam removal without elimination of beaver on spring-fed creeks is useless since 

 dams are rebuilt almost immediately. On Red Rock Creek no repairs to dams -were 

 observed until September. This allowed ample time for grayling to spawn. 



"Red Rock Creek and its tributaries and part of Tom Creek were made accessible 

 by removal of approximately 100 beaver and 90 dams in 1951 and 1952. Until 

 beaver are eliminated from these areas, beaver dams will need to be removed 

 prior to each year's grayling spawning run in order to keep the stream accessible. 



"EROSION AND SILTING — Number and weight of all fish was lowest in Section 

 1 of Red Rock Creek where erosion of banks, and silting was prevalent. Perhaps 

 after a more complete investigation, fencing of the creeks against livestock in this 

 area might be justified. 



"RECLAIMING WATER FOR GRAYLING — Culver (Widows) Pond, Buck Pond, and 

 Shambow Pond contain rainbovr and eastern brook trout at present. These fish 

 should be removed by poisoning and grayling introduced. Buck Pond is the 

 only one not at the head of its individual drainage. It has a small run-off from 

 Elk Lake which can be isolated from fish movements by a coarse gravel fill' in 

 the canyon at the lowrer end of the lake. If this is done, these ponds would be 

 isolated and could be managed exclusively for grayling. They have some suitable 

 spaw^ning areas in their short spring inlets. 



"Two ponds, located off the refuge appear suitable for grayling stocking, if 

 permission can be secured from the owners to poison out the species present. 



"If may be feasible fo poison certain creeks but not without further investigation. 



"MANAGEMENT IN OTHER AREAS — It is recommended that possibilities for 

 enlarging the present grayling range be investigated. All barren mountain lakes 

 which still exist in Montana and which are suitable, should be reserved for 

 grayling only. A number of small mountain lakes already stocked with species 

 other than cutthroat and golden trout might be poisoned out and then stocked with 

 grayling. Headwaters of creeks that are isolated to upstream movement of fish 

 by artificial or natural barriers offer an opportunity to develop grayling water. 

 Over a period of years, it may be possible to reclaim a few entire creeks by 

 poisoning and installing barriers fo keep out other fish." 



^This earth fill was made during the summer of 1953. 



— 73 — 



