Trout Unlimited backs Clark Fork restoration project

The illustrious Clark Fork, Montana’s largest river that stretches the length of Mineral County. This vast waterway features miles and miles of an angler’s utopia but it also has a colorful and complex history. Between toxic mine tailings, dam removal efforts, and irrigation rights the diverse and profitable fishing along the Clark Fork isn’t what it once was. That’s where Trout Unlimited wades in to help make needed improvements.

Trout Unlimited is a national non-profit organization with over 300,000 members and supporters dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s cold-water fisheries and their watersheds, like the Clark Fork River. Their plan is to restore this famous river and its tributaries across western Montana.

Paul Parson has worked for Trout Unlimited for nearly 8 years and is currently the Middle Clark Fork Program Manager. He detailed, “Throughout the Clark Fork watershed, habitat has been degraded, and issues with sediment, metals and nutrients have contributed to the need for restoration. The Upper Clark Fork is the country’s largest Superfund site.”

“The staff and volunteers work to protect, reconnect, restore and sustain trout and salmon habitat on behalf of today’s anglers and coming generations of sportsmen and women who value the connection between healthy, intact habitat and angling opportunity,” explained Parson.

Initial restoration work in the Clark Fork watershed began back in 2004. The primary focus was on abandoned mine cleanup in the Nine Mile Valley and then encompassed work from Butte to Thompson Falls. Parson stated, “With over 40 projects completed in the Middle Clark Fork alone, Trout Unlimited continues to restore habitat and river systems.”

The conservation group has seen many triumphs over the years in the Clark Fork basin. Most notable was their involvement in the removal of the Milltown Dam upstream near Bonner, Montana. In 2009 the unprecedented dam removal and 3 million tons of toxic sediment brought new life to the river. For the first time in nearly a century the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers were now reconnected.

This was major progress for the health of the river system and for angling opportunities in the region, but more remains to be done, particularly in the tributaries of the Clark Fork, where restoration and reconnection opportunities are waiting to be tackled by eager volunteers and Trout Unlimited staffers.

Parsons explained, “Our organization is based in Arlington, Virginia and has staff throughout the U.S. In addition to our 15 Montana based national staff, Montana is fortunate to have the Montana Council with six staff and 13 volunteer led chapters. Our local chapter for the Middle and Lower Clark Fork is the WestSlope Chapter.”

The organization has five local project managers working in the Clark Fork watershed. Between them they have a collective background in engineering, ecology, construction, forestry, botany and biology. For each unique project, countless steps and coordination efforts are involved to complete the work.

Parson shared, “Over 100 projects have been completed by TU and project partners ranging from Superfund mine cleanups, placer mine restoration, irrigation improvements, habitat construction, road rehabilitation, wetland construction, dam removal, fish passage infrastructure and in-stream water leasing.”

All around western Montana Trout Unlimited has finished projects and ongoing work sites in the Upper Clark Fork near Butte, Deer Lodge and Anaconda, Flint Creek Valley, Little Blackfoot, and Rock Creek. In the Middle Clark Fork projects are continuing in the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Rattlesnake, Ninemile, Petty Creek, Cedar Creek, Flat Creek, Fish Creek, St. Regis. In the Lower Clark Fork they are working on the Thompson, Prospect, Graves and Fish Trap Creeks.

Parson said, “Restoration work begins with partnerships, planning and fundraising. Our partners include landowners, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Montana DEQ, Montana DNRC, FEMA, Idaho Forest Group, Northwestern Energy, Avista, and local donors.”

During the planning process, Trout Unlimited organizes with state and federal agencies, as well as landowners and funders to develop a successful project. Once the planning, permitting and fundraising are completed, a local contractor is hired to complete the restoration work. Each project costs anywhere from a few thousand dollars to over a million.

The most recent Trout Unlimited project completed was in late August in the 12-mile creek drainage outside of St. Regis and was contracted by Haskins Excavating out of Superior.

Parson described, “12-Mile Creek has degraded habitat and is lacking large wood structures throughout the bottom 5 miles. Large wood structures are a key component for our native fish who utilize the structures and associated pools for cover, spawning, rearing and overwintering. Utilizing trees from nearby, Darin Haskins constructed 15 large wood structures – log jams that will produce pools and spawning gravels after next spring runoff.”

Through a competitive bidding process TU prefers to hire local companies for project work. Parson noted, “Local companies have very skilled operators, provide an excellent product and the money stays in the community.”

Construction season will be wrapping up for 2020 but arrangements are being made with the Superior Ranger District and Lolo National Forest to start work on Flat Creek in 2021. In addition, placer mine reclamation will resume in the Ninemile Valley next spring. Parsons added that volunteers are especially useful for their Fall revegetation efforts.

“Our overall goal is to provide cold, clean, connected water. In the end, if we take care of our streams the fishing will be better,” determined Parson.

Although a fisherman himself, Parson proclaimed to be more of an explorer, “As a fifth generation Montanan, I believe it is important for our generation to improve our streams and leave it better than we found it for our kids and future generations. Living in this part of the country, we are incredibly lucky to have clean water and access to fish and hunt on our public lands.”