EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 



Over the past decade, the Blackfoot River Restoration Initiative has expanded 

 from simple riparian restoration projects to a watershed-level conservation program. 

 Despite increased demand, scope and complexity of the program, the initiative continues 

 to operate with limited funds and chronic shortages of field personnel. As a result, the 

 need to consolidate and direct restoration resources (effort and money) to priority streams 

 continues to increase. In order to prioritize restoration resources, the Blackfoot 

 Cooperators developed a fisheries-based restoration priority scorecard, based on 

 biological, social and financial considerations, for 83 fisheries-impaired tributaries of the 

 Blackfoot River. To prioritize streams, we summed all scores and converted total score 

 to ranked values in ascending order. We also stratified impaired tributaries by restoration 

 (project streams) and non-restoration (non-project streams) status. We then prioritized 

 streams by biological, social and financial considerations. Prioritization revealed the 

 current program emphasizes streams of high biological priority, and identified many 

 additional non-project streams with potential to benefit bull trout, fluvial westslope 

 cutthroat trout, sport fishery values and water quality. 



Through the 1990s, restoration priorities focused on 37 Blackfoot River 

 tributaries from the North Fork downstream. Westslope cutthroat trout (WSCT hereafter) 

 densities have increased in the lower to middle reaches of the Blackfoot River 

 downstream of the North Fork confluence. Bull trout densities are increasing in the 

 lower Blackfoot River, Monture Creek and North Fork Blackfoot River. These increases 

 are due largely to the present restoration effort. By working jointly with the agricultural 

 community and other land managers and focusing on identified limiting factors, tributary 

 populations and river population size and resilience should continue to expand. 



While native fish populations are improving in the lower watershed, correcting 

 major habitat problems (timber deforestation and road drainage, mining waste and 

 agricultural runoff and riparian degradation, etc.) is far from complete. A large area of 

 the Blackfoot watershed is outside of the current restoration priority area. This report 

 evaluates additional areas in the Blackfoot River for priority status including: upper 

 Blackfoot River drainage upstream of Nevada Creek, Nevada Creek drainage, and Garnet 

 Mountains. 



Although completion of current restoration "project streams" should remain a 

 priority, we have also completed a fisheries baseline and related special studies necessary 

 to identify additional restoration needs in the Blackfoot Watershed. Between 1989 and 

 2001, we conducted fisheries assessments on 88 Blackfoot River tributaries. From these 

 and other assessments, we identified factors influencing riparian health and fish 

 populations on 83 streams. In addition to a watershed-level scale of identified restoration 

 opportunities, our restoration methods have expanded from simple riparian improvement 

 projects to conservation on a watershed-level over the last decade. With the increased 

 scope of conservation efforts, our fisheries monitoring and project maintenance needs 

 continue to expand. These increases in the scope and demand for stream and watershed 

 restoration are all confounded by limited funds and chronic shortages of field personnel 

 dedicated to program coordination, implementation and monitoring. 



