The existing roads, current grazing practices and the unstable reaches of irrigation ditch will 

 continue as chronic sources of sediment delivery and pose potential risk to downstream water 

 quality and downstream beneficial uses unless improvements, mitigation and remedial action 

 measures are implemented. 



Cold Water Fisheries - Existing Conditions 



Upper Willow Creek, Beaver Creek and Bear Creek all support native cold water fisheries. Fish 

 species presence/absence surveys, population surveys, genetic sampling and habitat inventories 

 have been completed by DNRC/FW&P for both Beaver Creek and Bear Creek. 



Species Presence / Absence, Populations and Genetics 



Fisheries surveys completed by U.S. Forest Service in 1994 found westslope cutthroat trout 

 present in Bear Creek and bull trout, cutthroat trout and brook trout present in Beaver Creek. 

 Brook trout were also present in the irrigation ditch and ponds located between Beaver Creek and 

 Bear Creek. Fisheries surveys completed in Bear Creek and Beaver Creek by DNRC and FW&P 

 in 2000 found bull trout, westslope cutthroat and brook trout present in Bear Creek and westslope 

 cutthroat and brook trout present in Beaver Creek. The following is a summary of the fish 

 population and habitat survey done by FW&P in June of 2000. Since only one-pass 

 electrofishing surveys were completed, population descriptions only represent relative abundance 

 and not true population size. 



Fish Populations; 



Bear Creek: 



Bear Creek contains small populations of westslope cutthroat trout, bull trout, and a few brook 

 trout. The low density and small size of the westslope cutthroat trout present in Bear Creek is 

 typical of populations found in headwater streams. Since Bear Creek's elevation and severe 

 winter conditions contribute to a short growing season and limited productivity. All the bull 

 trout captured in the survey reach were considered juvenile fish, suggesting the bull trout in Bear 

 Creek are part of a non-resident fluvial population. Connectivity and retention of quality habitat 

 are critical for maintaining this population. A small number of brook trout were caught near the 

 inflow from the Beaver Creek canal and may be out-migrants from Beaver Creek. Although 

 brook trout represented the fewest fish captured they had greatest mean size of the three fish 

 species sampled. Suggesting that brook trout may be able to out compete the native fish for 

 resources. The electrofishing survey did not indicate that habitat is a limiting factor on biomass 

 or density. 



Beaver Creek: 



Above the irrigation canal diversion, Beaver Creek contains westslope cutthroat, bull trout, brook 

 trout, and bull X brook trout hybrids. The observed small sizes and low densities of westslope 

 cutthroat trout are typical of headwater streams with populations of competing brook trout and 



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