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551.483

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1982

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Oswald, Sichard A

instream ±low
evaluation tor

^PPfT Missouri

araxna^e of

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INSTREAM FLOW EVALUATION

FOR SELECTED HEADWATER TRIBUTARIES

OF THE UPPER MISSOURI DRAINAGE OF SOUTHWESTERInI MONTANA

By:

Richard A. Oswald
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
8695 Huffine Lane
Bozeman, Montana 59715

DECEMBER 1982

STATE DOCUMENTS COLLECTlOff

MAR 3 1 1987

MONTANA STATE LIBRARY.

1515 E. 6th AVE.
HELENA, MONTANA 59620

Prepared For:

The Bureau of Land Management

U.S. Department of Interior

Dillon Resource Area

Dillon, Montana

■'•-<.:* ■(,

-^

MONTANA STATE LIBRARY

'1515 E. 6th AVE.
HELENA, MOMTANA 59620

J3

^3

MONTANA STATE LIBRARY

S 551.483 F2ife 1982 C.I Oswald
Instream flow evaluation for selected tie

3 0864 00055571 7

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Able assistance in the collection of field data was provided by G. Wayne
Black, Timothy Mosolf, Stephen McMullin and James Roscoe. The figures presented
in this manuscript were prepared by G. Wayne Black. James Roscoe performed meris-
tic examination of cutthroat trout specimens collected during the study. Lewis
Meyers provided valuable data for inclusion in the final report. Fred Nelson
reviewed the wetted-perimeter-flow relationships, performed the computer analysis
of the cross-sectional data and reviewed the final report. The manuscript was
typed by Susan Kirley.

. . (o '

o

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1

INSTREAM FLOW METHODOLOGIES 2

FISH POPULATION ESTIMATES 11

BIG HOLE RIVER DRAINAGE 13

Bear Creek- 15

GRASSHOPPER CREEK-BEAVERHEAD RIVER DRAINAGE 18

East Fork of Dyce Creek 20

West Fork of Dyce Creek 23

HORSE PRAIRIE CREEK-BEAVERHEAD RIVER DRAINAGE 26

Bear Creek 28

Black Canyon Creek 31

Frying Pan Creek 34

Rape Creek 38

Shenon Creek 41

Trapper Creek 45

BIG SHEEP CREEK-RED ROCK RIVER DRAINAGE 48

Cabin Creek 50

Indian Creek 54

Simpson Creek 5g

RED ROCK RIVER DRAINAGE 5I

Jones Creek ^3

Peet Creek gy

RUBY RIVER DRAINAGE 7j

North Fork of Greenhorn Creek 73

LITERATURE CITED 77

INTRODUCTION

This study was initiated to provide the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of the
US Department of Interior with a quantification of the instream flow needs for 15
small headwater tributaries of the upper Missouri River basin of southwestern
Montana. Information presented in this report can be used in the implementation
of resource management programs on BLM lands within the selected stream drainages
and the application of minimum flow recommendations to protect fish and wildlife
habitat.

The 15 study streams were selected because of the mutual interest of the BLM
and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MDFWP) in the high out-
door recreational values of the drainages, their provision of valuable riparian
habitat, their contributory flow to downstream fisheries and the known or suspec-
ted populations of native westslope cutthroat trout within the streams themselves.
The westslope cutthroat trout (Salmo olarki lewisi) was once numerous and widely
distributed throughout the upper Missouri River drainage, but has largely become
restricted to relict populations in a few headwater tributaries (Hanzel 1961,
Brown 1971, Roscoe 1974). This restriction has led to the classification of the
cutthroat trout as a species of special concern in Montana (Deacon et al . 1979).
Streams that still support populations of native cutthroat trout are given a
high management priority by the MDFWP and BLM.

Two basic types of instream flow information are provided in this report.
They consist of fish population data and a quantification, in cubic feet of water
per second, of the instream flows needed to maintain the fishery resource and aqua-
tic habitat during the low flow period (July 1-April 30). Other pertinent descrip-
tive information is provided for the streams of interest. The 15 streams covered
in this report are:

Big Hole River drainage

Bear Creek
Grasshopper Creek-Beaverhead River drainage

East Fork of Dyce Creek

West Fork of Dyce Creek
Horse Prairie Creek-Beaverhead River drainage

Bear Creek

Black Canyon Creek

Frying Pan Creek

Rape Creek

Shenon Creek

Trapper Creek
Big Sheep Creek-Red Rock River drainage

Cabin Creek

Indian Creek

Simpson Creek
Red Rock River drainage

Jones Creek

Peet Creek
Ruby River drainage

North Fork of Greenhorn Creek

INSTREAM FLOW METHODOLOGIES

The best and most accurate method for determining the instream flow needs
for fish and wildlife purposes is to derive the actual flow and biological rela-
tionships from long-term data collected in drought, normal and above normal water
years. While this approach has been tried on a few selected waterways in Montana,
it is not a practical means of deriving future recommendations due to the exces-
sive time, cost and manpower required to collect field data. Consequently,
flow recommendations for most waterways are derived from instream flow methods
that are more compatible with existing budget and time constraints, yet provide
acceptable and defendable recommendations.

The method of the MDFWP divides the annual flow cycle for the headwater
streams and rivers into two separate periods. They consist of a relatively brief
snow runoff or high flow period, when a large percentage of the annual water yield
is passed through the system, and a nonrunoff or low flow period which is charac-
terized by relatively stable base flows maintained primarily by groundwater out-
flow. For small headwater streams, the high flow period generally includes the
months of May and June while the remaining months (approximately July through
April) encompass the low flow period.

Methodology for Low Flow Period - Streams

The methodology chosen for deriving low flow recommendations for headwater
trout streams is primarily based on the assumption that the food supply is a major
factor influencing a stream's carrying capacity (the numbers and pounds of trout
that can be maintained indefinitely by the aquatic habitat) . The principal food
of both the juvenile and adult trout inhabiting the headwater streams of Montana
is aquatic invertebrates whach are primarily produced in the riffle areas of most
streams. The methodology assumes that the trout carrying capacity is proportion-
al to food production which in turn is proportional to the wetted perimeter in
riffle areas. This method is a slightly modified version of the Washington Method
(Ceilings, 1972 and 1974) which is based on the premise that the rearing of
juvenile salmon is proportional to food production which in turn is proportional
to the wetted perimeter in riffle areas. The Idaho Method (White and Cochnauer,
1975 and White, 1976) is also based on a similar premise.

Wetted perimeter is the distance along the bottom and sides of a channel
cross-section in contact with water (Figure 1) . As the flow in the stream channel
decreases, the wetted perimeter also decreases, but the rate of loss of wetted
perimeter is not constant throughout the entire range of flows. An example of a
relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a riffle cross-section is illus-
trated in Figure 2. There are generally two points, called inflection points, on
the plot of wetted perimeter versus flow at which the rate of loss of wetted perim-
eter is significantly changed. In the example (Figure 2), these inflection points
occur at approximate flows of 8 and 12 cfs. Beyond the upper inflection point,
large changes in flow cause only very small changes in wetted perimeter. The
area available for food production is considered near optimal beyond this inflec-
tion point. Below the upper inflection point, the stream begins to pull away
from the riffle bottom. At the lower inflection point, the rate of loss of wetted
perimeter begins to rapidly accelerate. Once flows are reduced below the lower
inflection point, the riffle bottom is being exposed at an accelerated rate and
the area available for food production greatly diminishes.

tr/ "»

K- ^

WETTED-
PERIMETER

O)

Figure 1. The wetted perimeter in a channel cross-section.

C 35

I-

7

10

15
FLOW (CFS)

Figure 2. An example of a relationship between wetted perimeter and flow
for a riffle cross-section.

^

The wetted perimeter-flow relationship may also provide an index of other
limiting factors that influence a stream's carrying capacity. One such factor is
cover. Cover, or shelter, has long been recognized as one of the basic and essen-
tial components of fish habitat. Cover serves as a means for avoiding predators
and provides areas of moderate current speed used as resting and holding areas by
fish. Cover can be significantly influenced by streamflow.

In the headwater streams of Montana, overhanging and submerged bank vegeta-
tion is an important component of trout cover. The wetted perimeter-flow relation-
ship for a stream channel may bear some similarity to the relationship between bank
cover and flow. At the upper inflection point, the water begins to pull away from
the banks, bank cover is lost and the stream's carrying capacity declines. Flows
exceeding the upper inflection point are considered to provide near optimal bank
cover. At flows below the lower inflection point, the water is sufficiently re-
moved from the bank cover to severely reduce its value as fish shelter. It is
reasonable to assume that this premise would be more acceptable if the wetted
perimeter- flow relationships were also derived for pools and runs, areas normally
inhabited by adult trout. However, cross-sections through pools and runs may not
be necessary. When the wetted perimeter-flow relationship for riffles and the
composite of all habitat types (pools, runs and riffles) comprising a study sec-
tion are compared, as illustrated in Figure 3, the shape of the curves and, con-
sequently, the flows at which the inflection points occur, are very similar. .
This similarity is probably explained by the fact that most headwater streams,
due to their high gradients, tend to be mainly comprised of riffle areas. Pools
are generally few in number and are poorly developed. A riffle area, therefore,
describes the typical habitat type that normally occurs throughout most headwater
streams .

It has been demonstrated that riffles are also critical areas for spawning
sites of brown trout, and shallow inshore areas are required for the rearing of
brown and rainbow trout fry (Sando, 1981). It is, therefore, assumed that in
addition to maximizing bank cover and food production, the flows exceeding the
upper inflection point would also provide favorable spawning and rearing conditions.

Riffles are the area of a stream most affected by flow reductions (Bovee,
1974 and Nelson, 1977). Consequently, the flows that maintain suitable riffle
conditions will also maintain suitable conditions in pools and runs, areas nor-
mally inhabited by adult trout. Because riffles are the habitat most affected
by flow reductions and are essential for the well-being of both resident and
migratory trout populations, they should receive the highest priority for instream
protection.

The wetted perimeter/ inflection point method provides a range of flows
(between the lower and upper inflection points) from which a single instream flow
recommendation can be selected. Flows below the lower inflection point are judg-
ed undesirable based on their probable impacts on food production, bank cover
and spawning and rearing habitat, while flows exceeding the upper inflection
point are considered to provide a near optimal habitat for trout. The flows at
the lower and upper inflection points are believed to bracket those flows needed to
maintain the low and high levels of aquatic habitat potential. These flow levels
are defined as follows:

36

34-

RIFFLE (CSI ANDCS2)

32-

Ul
UJ

Z
£

is!

o

UJ

h-

UJ

3:

30-

28-

COMPOSITE (CSI THRU CSS)

26-

24-

22

20

30

40 50 60

FLOW (CFS)

70

80

90

Figure 3.

Comparison of the relationships between wetted perimeter and
hlsf^rr/ composite of five cross-sections encompassing various
habitat types and a composite of two riffle cross-sections in
a subreach of Cherry Creek. Madison River drainage

1. High Level of Aquatic Habitat Potential - That flow regime which will
consistently produce abundant, healthy and thriving aquatic populations. In
the case of game fish species, these flows would produce abundant game fish
populations capable of sustaining a good to excellent sport fishery for the
size of stream involved. For rare, threatened or endangered species, flows

to accomplish the high level of aquatic habitat maintenance would: 1) provide
the high population levels needed to ensure the continued existence of that
species, or 2) provide for flow levels above those which would adversely
affect the species.

2. Low Level of Aquatic Habitat Potential - Flows to accomplish a low
level of aquatic habitat maintenance would provide for only a low population
abundance of the species present. In the case of game fish species, a poor
sport fishery could still be provided. For rare, threatened or endangered
species, their populations would exist at low or marginal levels. In some
cases, this flow level would not be sufficient to maintain certain species.

The final flow recommendation is selected from this range of flows by the
fishery biologist who collected, summarized and analyzed all relevant field data
for the streams of interest. The biologist's rating of the stream resource forms
the basis of the flow selection process. Factors considered in the biologist's
evaluation include recreational usage, the existing level of environmental degra-
dation, water availability and the magnitude and composition of existing fish
populations. The fish population information, which is essential for all streams,
is a major consideration. A nonexistent or poor fishery would likely justify a
flow recommendation at or near the lower inflection point unless other considera-
tions, such as the presence of species of special concern (arctic grayling and cut-
throat trout), warrant a higher flow. In general, only streams with exceptional
resident fish populations or those providing crucial spawning and/or rearing habitat
for migratory populations would be considered for a recommendation at or near the
upper inflection point. Exceptions are those tributary streams that are an essen-
tial source of the water that is needed for maintaining downstream aquatic habitat.
In this particular situation, water supply is the overriding consideration.

The process of deriving the flow recommendation for the low flow period
thusly combines a field methodology (wetted perimeter/inflection point method)
with a thorough evaluation by a field biologist of the existing stream resource.

The wetted perimeter- flow relationships are derived using a wetted perimeter
predictive (WETP) computer program developed in 1980 by the Montana Department of
Fish, Wildlife and Parks (Nelson, 1980). This program was designed to eliminate
the relatively complex data collecting procedures associated with the hydraulic
simulation computer models in current use while providing more accurate wetted
perimeter predictions.

Description of the WE'ITM^ro^ram^a^d^^Da^a^ Procedures

The WETP program uses at least two sets of stage (water surface elevation)
measurements taken at different known discharges (flows) to establish a least-
squares fit of log-stage versus log-discharge. Once the stage-discharge rating
curve for each cross-section is determined, the stage at a flow of interest can
be predicted. This rating curve, when coupled with the cross-sectional profile,
is all that is needed to predict the wetted perimeter at most flows of interest.

The program should be run using three sets of stage-discharge data collected
at a high, intermediate and low flow. Additional data sets are desirable, but
not necessary. The three measurements are made when runoff is receding (high
flow), near the end of runoff (intermediate flow) and during late summer-early
fall (low flow). The high flow should be considerably less than the bankful flow
while the low flow should approximate the lowest flow that normally occurs during
the Slimmer-fall field season. Sufficient spread between the highest and lowest
calibration flows is needed in order to compute a linear, sloping rating curve
(Figure 4) .

The WETP program can be run using only two sets of stage-discharge data.
This practice is not recommended since substantial "two-point" error can result.
However, when only two data sets are obtainable, the higher discharge should be
at least twice as high as the lower discharge.

The WETP model is invalidated if channel changes occur in the study area^
during the data collecting process. For this reason, the collection of the field
data needed for calibrating the program should be completed during the period
beginning when runoff is receding and ending with the onset of runoff the following
year. The stream channel is expected to be stable during this period.

Cross-sections were placed in an area that typified the stream reach for
which instream flow recommendations were to be derived. For the headwater streams,
this would mean a sequence from the head of a riffle to the head of the next
riffle. This sequence was described using from 5 to 10 cross-sections. The
cross-sections were placed to describe the typical habitat types in the propor-
tion that they occurred within each sequence. The cross-sections through pools
and runs were subsequently eliminated from the analyses since, as previously
explained, there appears to be little justification or advantage for their use
in the flow recommendation process .

The recommendations were selected solely from the wetted perimeter-flow
relationships for riffle areas. If two or more riffle cross-sections were avail-
able, the computed wetted perimeters for all riffle cross-sections at each flow
of interest were averaged and the recommendation selected from the wetted perimeter-
flow relationship for the composite of all riffle cross-sections.

The limitations and advantages of the WETP program, as well as field data
requirements and surveying techniques, are discussed by Nelson (1980).

Methodology for High Flow Period

Several major components of aquatic habitat in river and stream systems are
related to the physical features and form of the channel itself. Over time,
aquatic populations have adapted and thrived within the physical constraints of
channel configuration and flow. Basic to the maintenance of the existing aquatic
populations is the maintenance of the existing habitat that has historically sus-
tained them.

It is generally accepted that the major force in the establishment and
maintenance of a particular channel form in view of its bed and bank material is
the annual high flow characteristics. It is the high spring flows that determine
the shape of the channel rather than the average or low flows.

.986 •»

1.985-

: 1.984-

O
<

(/)

o>
O

.983-

.982

1.981-

.980

log Stage = 1.96389 + .007504 (log Discharge)

' I I —l^— ' till

2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8

2.9

log DISCHARGE (cfs)

Figure 4. An example of a "three point" stage-discharge rating curve for
a riffle cross-section.

10

Most unregulated headwater streams and rivers in Montana are characterized
by an annual spring high water period which normally occurs during May, June and
July and results from snowmelt in the mountainous headwaters. Annual spring flow
conditions on unregulated streams are heavily dependent upon snowpack and its
rate of thawing. On regulated streams, the occurrence and magnitude of the high
water period may vary depending upon reservoir operation and storage capacity.

The major functions of the high spring flows in the maintenance of channel
form are bedload movement and sediment transport. It is the movement of the bed
and bank material and subsequent deposition which forms the mid-channel bars and,
subsequently, the islands. High flows are capable of covering already establish-
ed bars with finer material which leads successively to vegetated islands. In-
creased discharge associated with spring runoff also results in a flushing action
which removes deposited sediments and maintains suitable gravel conditions for
aquatic insect production, fish spawning and egg incubation.

Reducing the high spring flows beyond the point where the major amount of
bedload and sediment is transported would interrupt the ongoing channel processes
and change the existing channel form and bottom substrates. A significantly
altered channel configuration would affect both the abundance and species com-
position of the present aquatic populations by altering the existing habitat types.

Several workers (Leopold, Wolman and Miller 1964, US Bureau of Reclamation
1973, and Emmett 1975) adhere to the concept that the form and configuration of
channels are shaped by and designed to accommodate a dominant discharge. The
discharge which is most commonly referred to as a dominant discharge is the bankful
discharge (Leopold, Wolman and Miller 1964, Emmett 197.5). Bankful discharge is
defined as that flow when water just begins to overflow onto the active floodplain.

Bankful discharge tends to have a constant frequency of occurrence among
rivers (Emmett 1975) . The recurrence interval for bankful discharge was deter-
mined by Emmett (1975) to be 1.5 years and is in close agreement with the fre-
quency of bankful discharge reported by other studies (Leopold, Wolman and Miller
1964, Emmett 1972).

The bankful discharge for streams and rivers was estimated by using the 1%-
year frequency peak flow. The 1%-year frequency peak flow was determined by
interpolation between the 1.25 and 2-year frequency peak flows as supplied by
the USGS for the streams and rivers in question.

It is not presently known how long the bankful flow must be maintained to
accomplish the necessary channel formation processes. Until studies further
clarify the necessary duration of the bankful discharge , a duration period of
24 hours is chosen.

A gradual rising and receding of flows should be associated with the dominant
discharge, and the shape of the spring hydrograph should resemble that which occurs
haturally. USGS flow records were used to determine the time when the high flow
period and peak flow normally occur on a given stream. The dominant discharge is
requested for that period when it normally occurs. Flows are increased from a
base flow level to the dominant discharge in 2-week intervals at the 80th percen-
tile flow level, corresponding to the natural timing of the high flow period.

11

The 80th percentile is the flow that is exceeded in 8 of 10 years or, in
other terms, in 8 years out of 10 there is more water than the 80th percentile
flowing in the stream. The 80th percentile was chosed in part because of its
compatability with irrigation development. To economically develop efficient,
full-service irrigation systems, a good water supply is considered necessary in
about 8 years out of 10, on the average (MDNRC, 1976). It is also our belief
that the high flow months can withstand substantial withdrawals and not alter
the basic functions of channel maintenance. The 80th percentile flows allow
for substantial water depletions.

The above instream flow method, which Is termed the dominant discharge/
channel morphology concept, can only be applied to those streams having at
least 9 years of continuous USGS gage records. Consequently, high flow recom-
"lendations cannot be derived for the streams considered in this report due to
the lack of long-term flow records.

FISH POPULATION ESTIMATES

As previously discussed, an evaluation of existing fish populations is an
essential component of the flow recommendation process. In addition to provid-
ing a means for partially justifying the selection of a particular flow recom-
mendation, the fish data also serve to document the state of the existing fish-
ery resource.

Electrofishing

Fish populations in the study streams were sampled using a bank electrofish-
ing unit basically consisting of a 110 volt Kawasaki gas generator, a Fisher
shocker box, a 500 ft cord, a stationary negative electrode, and a hand-held,
mobile positive electrode. A mild electric shock temporarily immobilizes the fish
located in the immediate vicinity of the positive electrode, allowing them to be
dip netted. The fish capturing efficiency of the units is highly variable since
efficiency rates are influenced by stream size, the magnitude of the flow, water
clarity, specific conductance, water temperature, cover types and the species and
size of fish.

The fish population is enumerated using a mark -recapture method which allows
for the estimation of the total numbers and pounds (the standing crops) of fish
within a stream section. For most streams, standing crop estimates were obtained
for 1,000 ft study sections.

The standing crop estimates require at least two electrofishing runs through
each study section. During the first or marking run, all captured fish are anes-
thetized, marked with a partial caudal fin clip so they can be later identified,
then released after individual lengths and weights are recorded. It is desirable
to make the second or recapture run at least two weeks after the marking run.
This two week period allows the marked fish to randomly redistribute themselves
throughout the population. During the recapture run, all captured fish are again
anesthetized and released after the lengths and weights of all new (unmarked)
fish and the length only of all marked fish are recorded. The population esti-
mate is basically obtained using the formula P = MC; where P is the estimated

R

12

number of fish, M is the number initially marked, C is the number of marked and
unmarked fish collected during the recapture run, and R is the number of marked
fish collected during the recapture run. This formula, although somewhat modified
in its final form for statistical reasons, is the basis of the mark-recapture tech-
nique.

The numbers of fish are actually estimated by length groups. ITiose h
inch length intervals having similar or equal recapture efficiencies comprise a
length group. This grouping is necessary because recapture efficiencies are
dependent on fish size. Generally, electrofishing is more effective for captur-
ing larger fish due to their greater surface area and their higher visibility
when in the electric field. Because recapture efficiencies are length related,
the numbers of fish must be estimated by length groups, then added to obtain the
total estimate. Generally, at least seven recaptures are needed per length
group in order to obtain a statistically valid estimate.

Pounds of fish are obtained by multiplying the average weight of the fish
within each length group by the estimated number, then adding to obtain the total
pounds. Estimates can also be obtained for different age-groups of fish. This
mark-recapture technique, which is thoroughly discussed by Vincent (1971 and 1974),
has been adapted for computer analyses by the MDFWP.

Only electrofishing survey data, consisting of the species, numbers and
length ranges of captured fish, are provided for those streams in which fish
populations are too sparse to reliably estimate using the mark-recapture method.

13

BIG HOLE RIVER DRAINAGE

• CROSS -SECTION SITE

The study area of the Big Hole River drainage.

15

1 . STREAM
Bear Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Bear Creek originates on the north slope of Dickie Peak at an elevation of
approximately 8,200 ft. The stream flows in a soutwesterly direction for 6.3
miles to its confluence with the Big Hole River. The only named tributary of
Bear Creek is Johnson Gulch Creek. The 5,504 acre (8.6 mi^) drainage is charac-
terized by steep, heavily timbered slopes with numerous south-facing clearings.
The stream is bordered by a relatively broad riparian zone of willow, alder, birch,
aspen, grasses and sedges and is characterized by braided channels and ntmierous
beaver ponds in the lower reaches. The average gradient of the 9.6 ft wide chan-
nel is 65.8 ft per 1,000 ft. Ownership of the Bear Creek drainage is controlled
by the USPS (67.8%), private individuals (17.9%) and the BLM (14.3%).

Lands within the Bear Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing, timber
harvest and recreation in the form of hunting, fishing and winter sports. Access
is provided by a gravel road which parallels the stream.

Bear Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting district
319 which supported an estimated 23,543 elk hunter-days and 16,127 deer hunter-
days in 1981 (MDFWP, 1982). The Bear Creek drainage received an excellent rating
for big game hunting quality in a BLM district survey and contains elk winter
range at lower elevations (BLM 1980). No estimate of fishing pressure is avail-
able for Bear Creek, however, fisherman use of the stream was observed during the
summer of 1982.

The BLM controlled portion of the drainage is included in a single grazing
allotment which is utilized on a seasonal basis. The allotment was found to be
in good condition in terms of range vegetation and erosion in a BLM district
survey (BLM 1980). A timber sale is planned for the USPS portion of the Bear
Creek drainage in 1983.

A riparian zone survey using the method of Myers (1976) was conducted on Bear
Creek. The study reach received an excellent rating. Riparian zone condition is
directly related to fish habitat and water quality on small southwestern Montana
streams subject to cattle grazing (Myers 1976).

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Bear Creek was electrofished on July 23 and August 9,
1982. Game fish collected, in descending order of abundance, were brook trout and
rainbow x cutthroat hybrid trout. Mottled sculpins were the only nongame species
collected. The electrofishing survey data are summarized in Table 1.

16

Table 1. Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 £t section of Bear
Creek CT2N, R12W, SW SE Sec. 34) on July 23 and August 9, 1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Brook Trout 344 1.7 - 13.8

Rainbow x Cutthroat Trout 22 1.5-10.6

Mottled Sculpin

Standing crops of brook and rainbow x cutthroat trout within the study section
were estimated by using a mark-recapture method (Table 2) . The section supported
about 501 trout, weighing a total of 34 pounds. Brook trout accounted for 96%
of the population and 91% of the biomass. Fish six in and larger accounted for
18% of the estimated population. Brook trout condition (length to weight ratio)
was very good and above average when compared to other upper Big Hole River
tributaries (Oswald 1980) .

Table 2. Estimated standing crops of brook and rainbow x cutthroat hybrid trout
in a 1,000 ft section of Bear Creek (T2N, R12W, SW SE Sec. 34) on July
23, 1982. Eighty percent confidence intervals are in parentheses.

Per 1,000 ft

Species Length Group (inches) Number Pounds

Brook Trout 3.0-4.4 335

4.5- 6.4 84

6.5-13.8 64

483 (+^60) 31 (+4)
Rainbow x Cutthroat Trout 3.0-10.6 18(+5) 3(+l)

The trout population observed in the study section revealed a good stream
fishery, A BLM district fish habitat survey classified Bear Creek as a productive
fishery in excellent condition (BLM 1980).

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 122 ft riffle sequence located approxi-
mately at stream mile 0.8 (T2N, R12W, SW SE Sec. 34). Approximately 92% of the
total drainage area was located above the subreach. Five cross-sections were
placed within this sequence. The WETP program was calibrated to field data col-
lected at flows of 33.4, 11.3 and 3.8 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and discharge for a composite of
five riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 5. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 3.5 and 7.0 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery, a flow of 5.0 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 - April
30) . Due to a lack of long term flow data, recommendations for the high flow
period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for Bear Creek.

17

12

UJ
UJ

QC
UJ

a

o
u

UJ

5

II-

10-

9-

8-

7-

6-

5-L-

6 8 10

FLOW (CFS)

12

14

Figure 5. The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a
composite of five riffle cross-sections in Bear Creek.

18

GRASSHOPPER CREEK-BEAVERliEAD RIVER DRAINAGE

». •

Gi.\

Y

•p\

I

T X

/

%P ^

o

«P.

l-<

'k.

k^

Q.V

ym

-o\

/4^

~\ /^

»S- SECTION SITE

The study areas of the Grasshopper Creek - Beaverhead River drainage

20

1 . STREAM

East Fork of Dyce Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

The East Fork of Dyce Creek originates on the south slope of the Pioneer
Mountains at an elevation of approximately 8,560 ft. The stream flows in a south-
erly direction for 4.7 miles to its juncture with the West Fork to form Dyce Creek,
a tributary of Grasshopper Creek and the Beaverhead River. The only named tribu-
tary of East Dyce Creek is Dry Gulch. The 3,712 acre (5.8 mi^) drainage is charac-
terized by coniferous timber on the east facing slopes and sagebrush-grassland
communities on the west faces. Ownership of the drainage is controlled by the BLM
(38%), USFS (38%) and private landowners (24%). The stream channel is bordered
uy a narrow riparian zone of willow, alder, aspen, grasses and sedges. The average
gradient of the 3 ft wide channel is 83.7 ft/ 1,000 ft.

Lands within the East Fork of Dyce Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing,
timber harvest, mining and outdoor recreation in the form of hunting and fishing.
Access is provided by a dirt road which parallels the stream.

The majority of the recreational use of the East Dyce Creek drainage occurs
during the big game hunting season. Dyce Creek lies within Montana deer and elk
hunting district 331, which supported an estimated 7,660 elk hunter-days and 7,920
deer hunter-days in 1981. The Dyce Creek drainage is rated excellent in terms of
big game hunting quality and classified as crucial elk winter range in a BLM
district survey (BLM 1980). Mule deer, antelope and moose also utilize the drain-
age during various seasons of the year. No estimate of fishing pressure is avail-
able for the East Fork of Dyce Creek.

The BLM portion of the drainage is included in a single grazing allotment which
is maintained on a rest-rotation basis. The allotment has been surveyed and found
to be in good condition in terms of soil erosion and vegetation and is currently
in an improving trend (BLM 1980) . A timber sale is currently in effect on the USFS
portion of the upper drainage.

The East Fork of Dyce Creek has had a history of mining activity within the
drainage. The maximum recorded year of gold production occurred in 1908 (Lyden
1948). A gold mining operation has been proposed for the site of the old Nick
Preen mine. The mining activity is slated to begin in 1983.

The East Fork of Dyce Creek is a calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate stream with a
moderately acidic to alkaline pH and specific conductance varying between 76 y mhos
at high flow and 161 \i mhos at low flow (Foggin et al . 1978). Suspended sediment
was observed to range between <5 and 776 ppm, representing an annual bed load of
79 tons in 1977 (Foggin et al. 1978). The sediment load of the East Fork was
found to be significantly lower than that of the West Fork of Dyce Creek. Stream
channel stability after the method of Pfankuch (1975) and riparian zone status
(Myers 1976) were both rated good.

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of the East Fork of Dyce Creek was electrofished on July
6 and July 14, 1982. Game fish collected in descending order of abundance were
rainbow x cutthroat hybrid trout and brook trout. Electrofishing survey data are
summarized in Table 3 .

21

Table 3. Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of the
East Fork of Dyce Creek CT6S, R12W, SE, SE, Sec. 26) on July 6 and
July 14, 1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Rainbow x cutthroat hybrid 49 2.3-9.7

trout

Brook Trout 26 1.9-8.6

Standing crops of rainbow x cutthroat hybrid and brook trout within the study
section were estimated by using a mark-recapture method (Table A). The section
supported 7S trout representing a biomass of 10 pounds. Rainbow x cutthroat hybrid
trout accounted for 66% of the population and 70% of the biomass. Trout 6 in and
longer accounted for 54% of the total population. Brook trout condition (length to
weight ratio) was excellent and well above average when compared with streams in
the Big Hole River drainage (Oswald 1981). The fish habitat of Dyce Creek was
evaluated as being in very good condition in a BLM district survey (BLM 1980) .

Table 4. Hstimated standing crops of rainbow x cutthroat hybrid and brook trout
in a 1,000 ft section of the East Fork of Dyce Creek (T6S, R12W, SE SE
Sec. 26) on July 6, 1982. Eighty percent confidence intervals are in
parentheses.

Species Length Group (inches)

Rainbow x cutthroat trout

Brook trout

4.5 -

- 6.9

7.0 ■

- 9.7

5.0 -

- 6.4

6.5 -

- 8.6

Per

1,000

ft

Number

Pounds

26

24

—

50(+^B)

7(+l)

15

10

25(+5) 3(+l)

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 74 ft riffle sequence located approxi-
mately at stream mile 0.2 (T6S, R12W, SE, SE, Sec. 26). Approximately 99% of the
total drainage area is located above this subreach. Five cross-sections were
placed within this sequence. The WETP program was calibrated to field data col-
lected at flows of 4.4, 2.1 and 1.3 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and discharge for a composite of
five riffle cross-sections is given in Figure 6. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 0.7 and 1.5 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery and recreational use of the area, a flow of 1.1 cfs is recommended for the
low flow period (July 1 - April 30). Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recom-
mendations for the high flow period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for the
East Fork of Dyce Creek.

22

7i

6-

r- 5-

tr

UJ

S

S 3

O
LJ

»- 2
LJ

Figure 6.

12 3 4 5

FLOW (CFS)

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a
composite of five riffle cross-sections in the East Fork of
Dyce Creek.

23

1 . STREAM

West Fork of Dyce Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

The West Fork of Dyce Creek originates on the south slope of the Pioneer
Mountains at an elevation of 7,920 ft. The stream flows in a southerly direction
for 4.7 miles to its junction with the East Fork to form Dyce Creek, a tributary
of Grasshopper Creek and the Beaverhead River. The 2,368 acre (3.7 mi^) drainage
is characterized by timbered slopes at high elevations and patches of timber and
sagebrush steppes in the lower elevations. The stream is bordered by a narrow
riparian zone of willow, alder, aspen, grasses and sedges. Two ponds, created by
nast mining activity, are located on the stream. The average gradient of the 3 ft
wide channel is 57.9 ft/1,000 ft. Ownership of the drainage is controlled by
the BLM (70.3%) and the USFS (29.7%).

Lands within the West Dyce Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing, mining,
timber harvest and recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access is pro-
vided by a dirt road which parallels the stream.

The majority of the recreational use of the West Dyce Creek drainage occurs
during the big game hunting season. The Dyce Creek drainage lies with-
in the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting district 331, which supported
an estimated 7,660 elk hunter-days and 7,920 deer hunter days in 1981 (MDFWP 1982).
The Dyce Creek drainage received an excellent rating for big game hunting quali-
ty and is classified as crucial elk winter range in a BLM district survey
(BLM 1980). Mule deer, antelope and moose also utilize the drainage during
various seasons of the year. Angler use of the West Fork of Dyce Creek has been
noted and probably centers around the two ponds. No estimate of fishing pressure
is available for Dyce Creek.

The BLM owned portion of the drainage is included in a single grazing allotment
which is utilized on a rest-rotation basis. The allotment has been surveyed and
found to be in good condition in terras of erosion and vegetation and is currently
improving (BLM 1980) . A timber sale is currently in effect on the USFS portion
of the upper drainage.

The West Fork of Dyce Creek has had a history of mining activity within the
drainage. Placer mining for gold occurred in the drainage in the early 1900 's
(Lyden 1948) and a tungsten mine and mill were located in the upper drainage.
Two ongoing placer operations are located on the stream at the present time.

The West Fork of Dyce Creek is a calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate stream with
and alkaline pH and specific conductance varying between 187 u mhos at high flow
and 345 m mhos at low flow (Foggin et al. 1978). Suspended sediment was observed
to range between <5 and 3,130 ppm representing an annual bed load of 102 tons in
1977 (Foggin et al. 1978). Stream channel stability after the method of Pfankuch
(1975) and riparian zone status after the method of Myers (1976) were both rated
good.

24

3. FISHERIES

An 850 ft section o£ the West Fork of Dyce Creek was electrofished on July
6 and July 14, 1982. Game fish collected in descending order of abundance were
rainbow x cutthroat hybrid trout and brook trout. Electrofishing survey data
are summarized in Table 5.

Table 5. Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 850 ft section of the West
Fork of Dyce Creek (T6S, R12W, NW, NW Sec. 26) on July 6 and July
14, 1982.

Species No, Captured Length Range (inches)

Rainbow x cutthroat hybrid 41 2.4-8.6

Brook trout 16 1.0-8.2

No estimate of brook or rainbow x cutthroat trout standing crop was calculated
due to the heavy riparian canopy that limited electrofishing efficiency in the
section.

Three sections of the West Fork of Dyce Creek on the upper (500 ft) , middle
(400 ft) and lower (700 ft) portions of the stream were electrofished on November
13, 1981 (MDFWP Unpub. data). Rainbow x cutthroat hybrid trout numbers ranged
between 10 captured in the upper section and 43 captured in the middle section.
The fish ranged between 1.7 and 9.5 inches in length. Brook trout numbers ranged
between 0 captured in the upper section and 22 captured in the middle section.
The brook trout ranged between 3.1 and 7.6 inches in length. The great majority
of the trout captured in the middle section came from a single large pool that had
resulted from mining activity. A BLM fish habitat evaluation rated the Dyce Creek
drainage as very good (BLM 1980).

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 31 ft riffle sequence located approxi-
mately at stream mile 2.0 (T6S, R12W, NE, NE Sec. 22). Approximately 55% of the
drainage area was located above the subreach. Five cross-sections were placed
within this sequence. The WETP program was calibrated to field data collected at
flows of 2.0, 1.2 and 0.8 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and discharge for a composite of
three riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 7. Lower and upper inflection
points occur at 0.6 and 1.1 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the
existing fishery, recreational use of the area and mining interest in the drain-
age, a flow of 0.8 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 - April 30).
Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high flow period
(May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for the West Fork of Dyce Creek.

25

4.5t

y 4.0-

UJ

UJ
0.

o

bJ

3.5-

3.0-

0.5

1.0 1.5 2.0

FLOW (CFS)

2.5

3.0

3.5

Figure 7, The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite
of three riffle cross-sections in the West Fork of Dyce Creek.

26

HORSE PRAIRIE CREEK- BEAVERHEAD RIVER DRAINAGE

to

• CROSS- SECTION SITE

The study areas of the Horse Prairie Creek-Beaverhead River drainage.

28

1 . STREAM
Bear Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Bear Creek originates on the east slope of the Continental Divide in the
Beaverhead Mountains at an elevation of approximately 8,880 ft. The stream flows
in an east-northeasterly direction for about 8.9 miles to its juncture with Trail
Creek, a tributary of Horse Prairie Creek and the Beaverhead River. The 12,224
acre (19.1 mi^) drainage is typified by heavily timbered slopes in the upper eleva-
tions and sagebrush-grassland communities in the lower portions. Ownership of
the Bear Creek drainage is controlled by the USPS (66%), private individuals (16.2%),
the ELM (12.0%) and the state of Montana (5.8%). The only named tributary of Bear
Creek is Bear Gulch. The average gradient of the 8.0 ft wide channel is 48.9 ft/
1,000 ft. The stream is bordered by a relatively broad riparian zone of willow,
alder, aspen, grasses and sedges and supports some beaver activity.

Lands within the Bear Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing and outdoor
recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access is provided by a Jeep trail.

Bear Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting district
328, which supported an estimated 2,522 elk hunter-days and 1,446 deer hunter-days
in 1981 (MDFWP 1982) , The drainage contains elk winter and calving ranges and
was rated excellent in terms of big game hunting quality (BLM 1980). No
estimate of fishing pressure is available for Bear Creek. However, the stream re-
ceived an excellent rating as a sport fishery in a BLM district recreational evalu-
ation (BLM 1980).

The BLM portion of the Bear Creek drainage is included in a single grazing
allotment which is managed on a rest-rotation basis. A BLM evaluation found this
allotment to be in excellent vegetative condition with no indication of soil
erosion and is currently in an improving trend.

A stream channel stability evaluation (Pfankuch 1975) resulted in a fair rating
for Bear Creek, while a riparian inventory (Myers 1976) rated the stream in good
condition (BLM 1980). Riparian zone condition is directly related to water quality
and fish habitat on small southwest Montana streams subject to cattle grazing
(Myers 1976).

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Bear Creek was electrofished on August 4 and August 10,
1982. Game fish collected in descending order of abundance were brook trout and
cutthroat trout. Mottled sculpins were the only non-game species captured.
Electrofishing survey data are summarized in Table 6.

29

Table 6. Stimmary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of Bear
Creek (TIOS, R15W, NW, NW Sec. 35) on August 4 and August 10, 1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Brook Trout 73 2.3-9.7

Cutthroat Trout 36 2.9-8.4

Mottled Sculpin

The standing crop of brook trout within the study section was estimated using
a mark-recapture method (Table 7). No estimate of cutthroat trout standing crop
could be derived due to a lack of sufficient numbers of recaptured fish to insure
statistical reliability. The section supported 65 brook trout representing a
biomass of 7 pounds. Fish 6 in and longer comprised 52% of the estimated popu-
lation. Brook trout condition (length to weight ratio) was excellent and well
above average when compared with brook trout populations in the Big Hole River
drainage (Oswald 1981) .

Table 7. Estimated standing crop of brook trout in a 1,000 ft section of Bear
Creek (TIOS, R15W, NW, NW Sec. 35) on August 4, 1982. Eighty percent
confidence intervals are in parentheses.

Species Length Group (inches) Per 1,000 ft

Number Pounds

Brook Trout 5.0 - 9.7 65 (+24) 7 (+3)

None of the Bear Creek cutthroat trout were collected for meristic determination
of strain due to the low numbers of fish collected during the recapture run.
Meristic examination of cutthroat trout from Frying Pan and Trapper Creeks, Trail
Creek tributaries immediately adjacent to Bear Creek, resulted in their classifi-
cation as westslope strain (J. Roscoe Unpub. Data 1982). Due to the proximity
of Bear Creek to these similar headwater tributaries, it is quite possible that
the Bear Creek cutthroat trout represent another westslope population. Future
collections are planned to confirm this hypothesis.

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 118 ft riffle sequence located approxi-
mately at stream mile 4.0 (TIOS, R15W, SE, SW Sec. 26). Approximately 67% of the
drainage was located above this sequence. The WETP program was calibrated to
field data collected at flows of 15.6, 10.5 and 4.8 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of five
riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 8 . Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 4.5 and 8.0 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing fish-
ery, a flow of 6.0 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 - April 30).
Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high flow period (May 1-
June 30) cannot be derived for Bear Creek.

cv

19

18

17-

fel6

u

1

Q.

O
UJ

15-

14-

12-

II

30

Figure 8. The relationship between wetted perimeter and
flow for a composite of five riffle cross-
sections in Bear Creek.

10-

1^

5

10 15 20

FLOW IC FSi

25

30

35

31

1 . STREAM

Black Canyon Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Black Canyon Creek originates on the east slope o£ the Continental Divide in the
Beaverhead Mountains at an elevation of about 8,880 ft. The stream flows in an
east-northeasterly direction for approximately 10.4 miles to its confluence with
Everson Creek, a tributary of Horse Prairie Creek and the Beaverhead River. The
10,816 acre (16.9 mi^) drainage is heavily timbered in the headwater region and
characterized by sagebrush-grassland communities in the lower elevations. Owner-
ship of the drainage is controlled by the USPS (49.1%), the BLM (27.3%), private
individuals (14.5%) and the state of Montana (9.1%). The stream is bordered by
a relatively broad riparian zone of willow, aspen, grasses and sedges and character-
ized by numerous areas of beaver activity. The average gradient of the 5 ft wide
channel is 44.8 ft/1,000 ft.

Lands within the Black Canyon Creek drainage are utilized for cattle grazing
and outdoor recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access is provided by
a dirt road which parallels the stream.

Black Canyon Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting
district 328, which supported an estimated 2,252 elk hunter-days and 1,446 deer
hunter-days in 1981 (MDFWP 1982) . The drainage contains elk and moose winter range
and is rated excellent in terms of big game hunting quality (BLM 1980).
No estimate of fishing pressure is available for Black Canyon Creek. However,
angler use of the stream was observed during the 1982 field season.

The BLM segment of the drainage is included in two grazing allotments which
are managed on a rest-rotation basis. One of these allotments was evaluated as
being in good condition. However, the other was rated as poor and undergoing
a declining trend (BLM 1980) .

Black Canyon Creek is a calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate stream with a neutral to
alkaline pH and specific conductance ranging between 65 and 185 p mhos (Foggin
et al. 1978). Suspended sediment has been observed to range between <5 and 948 ppm.
These values represented an annual load of 21 tons in 1977, a low water year, and
172 tons in 1978, which had higher stream flows (Foggin et al. 1978).

A stream channel stability evaluation (Pfankuch 1975) resulted in a fair
rating for Black Canyon Creek, while a riparian zone survey (Myers 1976) resulted
in a good rating (BLM 1980) . Riparian zone condition is related to fish habitat
and water quality in small southwest Montana streams subject to cattle grazing.

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Black Canyon Creek was electrofished on August 4 and
August 11, 1982. The only game fish collected were brook trout, while mottled
sculpins were the only non-game species present. Electrofishing survey data are
summarized in Table 8.

32

Table 8. Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of Black
Canyon Creek (TllS, R14W, SE, NW Sec. 21) on August 4 and August 11,
1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Brook Trout 251 1.6 - 11.1

Mottled Sculpin

The standing crop of brook trout within the study section was estimated by
ising a mark-recapture method (Table 9) . The section supported an estimated 351
fish representing a biomass of 35 pounds. Fish 6 in and longer amounted to 49%
of the population.

Table 9. Estimated standing crop of brook trout in a 1,000 ft section of Black
Canyon Creek (TllS, R14W, SE, NW Sec. 21) on August 4, 1982. Eighty
percent confidence intervals are in parentheses.

Per 1,000 ft

Species Length Group (inches) Number Pounds

Brook Trout 3,5-4.4 127

4.5 - 6.4 95

6.5 -11.1 129

351 (+46) 35 (+4)

The trout population of the study section revealed a good sport fishery of
brook trout of a harvestable size.

4, FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 146 ft riffle sequence located approxi-
mately at stream mile 5.2 (TllS, R14W, SE, NW Sec. 21). Aproximately 65% of the
drainage area was located above this sequence. The WETP program was calibrated to
field data collected at flows of 17.1, 10.6 and 3.6 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of five riffle
cross-sections is shown in Figure 9. Lower and upper inflection points occur at 2.0
and 7.0 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing fishery, a flow
of 3.0 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 - April 30). Due to a
lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high flow period (May 1 -
June 30) cannot be derived for Black Canyon Creek.

12-

II-

UJ

yj 10-

o

H

IjJ

9-

T

T

15 20

FLOW (CFS)

25

30

35

Figure 9. The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite
of five riffle cross-sections in Black Canyon Creek.

34

1 . STREAM

Frying Pan Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Frying Pan Creek originates on the east slope of the Continental Divide in the
Beaverhead Mountains at an elevation of about 8,400 ft. The stream flows in an
east-northeasterly direction for 2.4 miles to its mouth on Trail Creek, a tribu-
tary of Horse Prairie Creek and the Beaverhead River. Named tributaries of Frying
Pan Creek include the North and South Forks of Frying Pan Creek and Trapper Creek.
The 4,352 acre (6.8 mi^) drainage is heavily timbered in the upper elevations and is
characterized by sage and grassland communities in the lower elevations. The
stream is bordered by a riparian zone consisting of willow, alder, aspen, grasses
d-nd sedges. The 8.5 ft wide channel has an average gradient of 18.9 ft/ 1,000 ft.
The average gradient of the 5.6 mile length of stream from the mouth to the head
of the North Fork is 59.5 ft/1,000 ft. Ownership of the Frying Pan Creek drain-
age is controlled by the USPS (41.7%), the State of Montana (29.2%), private
individuals (20.8%) and the ELM (8.3%).

Lands within the Frying Pan Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing, timber
harvest, mining and outdoor recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access
is provided by a dirt road which crosses the stream near the juncture of the North
and South Forks.

Frying Pan Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana elk and deer hunting
district 328, which supported an estimated 2,522 elk hunter-days and 1,446 deer
hunter-days in 1981. The drainage contains elk and moose winter range and is
rated excellent in terms of big game hunting quality (BLM 1980). No esti-
mate of fishing pressure is available for Frying Pan Creek. The stream probably
receives light fishing pressure due to its remote location.

Portions of two grazing allotments are contained in the BLM controlled segment
of the drainage. These allotments are managed on a seasonal and rest-rotation
basis. A BLM evaluation of these allotments found them to be in excellent vegeta-
tive shape with no indication of soil erosion.

The Frying Pan Creek drainage has had some past mining in the form of explora-
tory work for the radioactive mineral, thorium. A small abandoned settlement on
the South Fork of Frying Pan Creek called Thorium City was erected to house the
miners and is still standing at the present.

No timber harvest was in effect on USPS lands within the drainage at the time
of the present study. However, a small timber sale is planned for 1984.

A stream channel stability evaluation after the method of Pfankuch (1975) re-
sulted in a fair rating for Frying Pan Creek. The riparian zone (Myers 1975) was
rated in good condition but far below its potential due to cattle grazing (BLM 1980)

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Frying Pan Creek was electrofished on July 30 and August
10, 1982. The only fish collected were westslope cutthroat trout. Electrofishing
survey data are summarized in Table 10.

35

Table 10. Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of Frying
Pan Creek (TIOS, R15W, NE, SW Sec. 22) on July 30 and August 10, 1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

The standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout within the study section was
estimated by using a mark-recapture method (Table 11). The section supported 474
fish, representing a biomass of 25 pounds. Fish 6 in and larger comprised 17% of
the estimated population. The fish condition factor (length to weight ratio) was
found to be excellent.

Table 11. Estimated standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout in a 1,000 ft

section of Frying Pan Creek (TIOS, R15 W, NE SW Sec. 22) on July 30,
1982. Eighty percent confidence intervals are in parentheses.

Per 1,000 ft
Species Length Group (inches) Number Pounds

Westslope Cutthroat 2.5 - 6.9 447

Trout

7.0 - 9.3 27

474 (+224) 25 (+10)

Meristic examination of representative fish collected from Frying Pan Creek
found them to be within the range of characteristics described by Behnke (1979) and
Roscoe (1974) as typifying the westslope strain of cutthroat trout (J. Roscoe,
Unpub. Data, 1982). The westslope cutthroat trout, once common throughout the
Upper Missouri River drainage, is classified as a species of special concern
(Deacon et al. 1979) in Montana. It has been documented that cutthroat trout are
very intolerant of environmental disturbances and habitat changes, are poor com-
petitors with introduced species, readily hybridize with rainbow trout and are
highly susceptible to fishing pressure (Hanzel 1961, Behnke and Zarn 1976, Behnke
and Benson 1980) . These factors have combined to greatly reduce the native cut-
throat population of the Upper Missouri drainage.

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in an 83 ft riffle sequence located approxi-
mately at stream mile 2.0 (TIOS, R15W, NE, SW Sec. 22). Approximately 67% of the
drainage area is located above the subreach. Five cross-sections were placed
within this sequence. The WETP program was calibrated to field data collected at
flows of 9.8, 4„8 and 2.2 cfs.

36

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of five
riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure lo. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 1.8 and 3.0 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery, a flow of 3.0 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 -
April 30) . Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high
flow period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for Frying Pan Creek.

p

37

ll-I

iJ- lo-

ot

Ld

I-
UJ 9-

s

u
a

u
5

8-

7-

6-

2

3

1^
5

6

1
7

FLOW (CFS)

Figure 10. The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite
of five riffle cross-sections in Frying Pan Creek.

38

1 . STREAM
Rape Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Rape Creek originates on the east slope of the Beaverhead Mountains at an
elevation of approximately 8,720 ft. The stream flows in a northwesterly direc-
tion for 7.0 miles to a storage reservoir for the Paiment Ditch from Horse Prairie
Creek. The 5,120 acre (8.0 mi2) drainage is controlled by the BLM (50.0%), the
State of Montana (25.0%) and private individuals (25.0%). The stream is bordered
by a narrow riparian zone of willow, aspen, grasses and sedges and is characteriz-
ed by a high percentage of active bank erosion. The average gradient of the 2.5
foot wide stream is 70.3 ft/1,000 ft.

Lands within the Rape Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing and outdoor
recreation, primarily in the form of hunting. Access is provided by a Jeep trail.

Rape Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting district
328, which supported an estimated 2,522 elk hunter-days and 1,446 deer hunter-
days in 1981 (MDFWP 1982) . The drainage contains elk winter range and is rated
above average in terms of big game hunting quality (bLM 1980). No estimate
of fishing pi-essure is available for Rape Creek. The stream probably receives
little fishing pressure due to its small size and the remoteness of its location.

The BLM portion of the drainage is included in a single grazing allotment which
is managed on a rest-rotation basis. A BLM evaluation found this allotment to be
in good condition both in terms of vegetation and soil erosion. However, the range
is in a declining trend (BLM 1980).

A stream channel stability evaluation (Pfankuch 1975) resulted in a poor rating
for Rape Creek, while a riparian inventory (Myers 1976) rated the stream in un-
satisfactory condition (BLM 1980). The poor ratings for Rape Creek resulted from
large percentages of active bank erosion along the stream channel. Riparian zone
condition is directly related to fish habitat and water quality on small south-
west Montana streams subject to cattle grazing (Myers 1976).

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Rape Creek was electrofished on July 7 and August 19,
1982. The only fish collected were westslope cutthroat trout. Electrofishing
survey data are summarized in Table 12.

Table 12. Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of Rape
Creek (TIOS, R13W, NW, SE Sec. 21) on July 7 and August 19, 1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Westslope Cutthroat Trout 36 2.3-6.3

39

The standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout within the study section could
not be estimated due to a lack of sufficient recaptures to insure statistical
reliability of the estimate.

BLM biologists collected fish from Rape Creek in July, 1980. Fish preserved
for meristic examination at the time of this collection averaged 8.2 inches in
length Meristic exaonination of cutthroat trout from Rape Creek found them to be
within the range of characteristics described by Behnke (1979) and Roscoe (1974)
as typifying the westslope strain of cutthroat trout (J. Roscoe, Unpub. Data 1980).
The westslope cutthroat trout, once common throughout the upper Missouri River
drainage, is classified as a species of special concern in Montana (Deacon et al.
1979). It has been documented that cutthroat trout are very intolerant of environ-
mental disturbances and habitat changes, are poor competitors with introduced
species, readily hybridize with rainbow trout and are highly susceptible to fishing
pressure (Hanzel 1961, Behnke and Zarn 1976, Behnke and Benson 1980). These fac-
tors have combined to greatly reduce and restrict the native cutthroat trout popu-
lation of the Upper Missouri drainage.

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 107 ft riffle sequence located approxi-
mately at stream mile 3.7 (TIOS, R13W, NW, SE Sec. 21). Approximately 38% of the
drainage was located above this sequence. The WETP program was calibrated to field
data collected at flows of 1.7, 1.1 and 0.6 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of five
riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 11. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 0.3 and 0.5 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery, a flow of 0.5 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 - April
30) . Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high flow
period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for Rape Creek,

40

5.0i

111
u

S
u

0.

4.0-

Q 3.0-
UJ

2.0-

0.5

1.0 1.5

FLOW (CFS)

Figure 11. The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a
composite of five riffle cross-sections in Rape Creek.

41

1 . STREAM
Shenon Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Shenon Creek originates on the east slope of the Beaverhead Mountains at an
elevation of about 8,760 ft. The stream flows in a northwesterly direction for
6.9 miles to its junction with Horse Prairie Creek, a tributary of the Beaverhead
River. The 5,504 acre (8.6 mi2) drainage is characterized by timbered slopes in
the headwater region and sagebrush-grassland communities in the lower elevations.
Ownership of the Shenon Creek drainage is controlled by the BLM (60.7%), private
individuals (21.4%) and the State of Montana (17.9%). The stream is bordered by
a relatively broad riparian zone consisting of willow, birch, aspen, grasses and
oedges. The average gradient of the 3.0 ft wide stream is 66.4 ft/1,000. ft.

Lands within the Shenon Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing and out-
door recreation, primarily in the form of hunting. Access is provided by a dirt
road which parallels the stream.

Shenon Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting dis-
trict 328 which supported an estimated 2,522 elk hunter-days and 1,446 deer hunter-
days in 1981 (MDFWP 1982). The drainage contains elk winter range and is rated
excellent in terms of big game hunting quality (BLM 1980). No estimate of
fishing pressure is available for Shenon Creek. The stream probably receives
little fishing pressure due to its small size.

The BLM portion of the drainage is included in a single grazing allotment which
is managed on a rest-rotation basis. A BLM evaluation found the allotment to
be in good condition both in terms of vegetation and soil erosion. However, the
range was undergoing a declining trend (BLM 1980).

Shenon Creek is a calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate stream with an alkaline pH and
specific conductance ranging between 132 y mhos at high flow and 238 y mhos at low
flow (Foggin et al. 1978). Suspended sediment ranged between <5ppm and 384 ppm,
representing an annual bedload of 42 tons in the upper drainage in 1977, while a
station in the lower drainage showed higher concentrations (Foggin et al, 1978).

A stream channel stability evaluation (Pfankuch 1975) resulted in a poor rating
for Shenon Creek, while a riparian zone inventory (Myers 1976) resulted in an un-
satisfactory rating (BLM 1980) , The poor ratings for Shenon Creek were due to
large percentages of active erosion along the stream banks.

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Shenon Creek was electrofished on July 7 and July 27,
1982. Game fish collected in descending order of abundance were brook trout and
cutthroat trout plus rainbow x cutthroat hybrid trout. Mottled sculpins were the
only non-game species collected. Electrofishing survey data are summarized in
Table 13.

42

Table 13. Siimmary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of

Shenon Creek (TlOS, R13W, NW, NW Sec. 32) on July 7 and July 27,
1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Brook Trout 16 4.2-7.3

Cutthroat and Rainbow x Cutthroat

Hybrid Trout 10 2.9-6.8

Mottled Sculpin

A single electrofishing trip was conducted on a second section of Shenon Creek
(TIOS, R13W, SE, NW Sec. 33) on July 27, 1982. This upper section was 700 ft
in length and yielded 17 cutthroat plus rainbow x cutthroat trout (2.9 - 4.1 in)
and 7 brook trout (4.4 - 5.7 in). Mottled sculpins were also present in this up-
per section.

The standing crop of brook trout within the 1,000 ft study section was estimated
by using a mark-recapture method (Table 14) . The low estimate of eight fish per
1,000 ft is probably due to the generally poor condition of fish habitat on Shenon
Creek, as indicated by the eroding banks and the poor condition of the riparian
zone. The poor status of the fish habitat of Shenon Creek has been attributed to
cattle grazing practices along the stream (BLM 1980).

Table 14. Estimated standing crop of brook trout in a 1,000 ft section of Shenon
Creek (TIOS, R13W, NW, NW Sec. 32) on July 7, 1982. Eighty percent
confidence intervals are in parentheses.

Per 1,000 ft

Species Length Group (inches) Number Pounds

Brook Trout 5.0 - 7.3 8 (+3) l(+0)

BLM biologists collected fish from Shenon Creek in July, 1980. Meristic
examination of specimens from this collection revealed that some of the fish from
Shenon Creek were within the range of characteristics used to describe westslope
cutthroat trout (Behnke 1979 and Roscoe 1974) , while other specimens had some de-
gree of hybridization with rainbow trout (J. Roscoe Unpub. Data, 1980). The
hybridization of native cutthroat trout with introduced rainbow trout is one of
the major factors associated with the marked decline of native cutthroat trout
populations in Montana (Hanzel 1961) .

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 184 ft riffle sequence located approxi-
mately at stream mile 2.9 (TIOS, R13W, NE, NE Sec. 32). Approximately 47% of the
drainage was located above this sequence. The WETP program was calibrated to field
data collected at flows of 1.7, 1.0 and 0.7 cfs.

43

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of four
riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 12. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 0.5 and 1.0 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery, a flow of 0.7 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 - April
30) . Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high flow
period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for Shenon Creek.

6-

5-

u

I-

kJ

s

bJ

a

o

uj 4
I-

.5

1.0

1.5 2.0

FLOW (CFS)

2.5

3.0

3.5

Figure 12. The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite
of four riffle cross-sections in Shenon Creek.

45

1 . STREAM
Trapper Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Trapper Creek originates on the east slope of the Continental Divide in the
Beaverhead Mountains at an elevation of approximately 8,600 ft. The stream flows
in an east -northeasterly direction for 4.9 miles to its confluence with Frying Pan
Creek. The 3,136 acre (4.9 mi^) drainage is characterized by heavily timbered
slopes in the headwater region and sagebrush-grassland communities in the lower
elevations. Ownership of the Trapper Creek drainage is controlled by the USPS
(44.9%), private individuals (30.6%), the BLM (14.3%) and the State of Montana
(10.2%). The stream is bordered by a narrow riparian zone of willow, aspen,
alder, grasses and sedges. The average gradient of the 3.5 ft wide channel is
74.2 ft/1,000 ft.

Lands within the Trapper Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing and out-
door recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access is provided by a Jeep
trail which crosses the stream.

Trapper Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting dist-
rict 328, which supported an estimated 2,522 elk hunter-days and 1,446 deer hunter-
days in 1981 (MDFWP 1982) . The drainage contains elk winter range and is rated
excellent in terms of big game hunting quality (BLM 1980) . No estimate of
fishing pressure is available for Trapper Creek. The stream probably receives
light fishing pressure due to its remote location and small size.

The BLM portion of the drainage is included in a single grazing allotment which
is utilized on a rest-rotation basis. A BLM evaluation found this allotment to
be in excellent vegetative condition with no indication of soil erosion and is
currently in an improving trend (BLM 1980) .

A stream channel stability evaluation after the method of Pfankuch (1975) and
a riparian zone evaluation (Myers 1976) resulted in fair ratings for Trapper Creek.
Riparian zone condition is directly related to fish habitat and water quality on
small southwestern Montana streams subject to cattle grazing (Myers 1976),

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Trapper Creek was electrofished on July 30 and August
10, 1982. Game fish collected in descending order of abundance were westslope cut-
throat trout and brook trout. Electrofishing survey data are summarized in Table 15.

Table 15. Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of Trapper
Creek (TIOS, R15W, SE, NW Sec. 34) on July 30 and August 10, 1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Westslope Cutthroat Trout 30 2.2-7.7

Brook Trout 6 3.0-5.3

46

The standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout within the study section was
estimated by using a mark-recapture method (Table 16). The section supported 33
fish representing a biomass of three pounds. Fish condition (length to weight
ratio) was excellent.

Table 16. Estimated standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout in a 1,000 ft

section of Trapper Creek (TIGS, R15W, SE NW Sec. 34) on July 30, 1982.
Eighty percent confidence intervals are in parentheses.

Per 1,000 ft

Species Length Group (inches) Number Pounds

Westslope Cutthroat Trout 4.0 - 7.7 33 (+^12) 3(+^l)

Meristic examination of representative fish collected from Trapper Creek found
them to be within the range of characteristics described by Behnke (1979) and
Roscoe (1974) as typifying the westslope strain of cutthroat trout (J. Roscoe,
Unpub. Data, 1982). The westslope cutthroat trout, once coiranon throughout the
upper Missouri River drainage, is classified as a species of special concern in
Montana (Deacon et al . 1979), It has been documented that cutthroat trout are
very intolerant of environmental disturbances and habitat changes, are poor com-
petitors with introduced species, readily hybridize with rainbow trout and are
highly susceptible to fishing pressure (Hanzel 1961, Behnke and Zarn 1976, Behnke
and Benson 1980) . These factors have combined to greatly reduce and restrict the
native cutthroat trout population of the upper Missouri drainage.

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 224 ft riffle sequence located approxi-
mately at stream mile 2.5 (TIOS, R15W, SE NW Sec. 34). Approximately 63% of the
drainage area was located above this sequence. The WETP program was calibrated
to field data collected at flows of 12.1, 3.7 and 0.9 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of five
riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 13. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 0,6 and 0.9 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery, a flow of 0.9 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 -
April 30) . Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high
flow period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for Trapper Creek.

47

II

10-

9-

Ul
LJ

a

UJ

o

LJ
UJ

8

7-

6-

5-

4-i

2 3 4

FLOW (CFS)

5

Figure 13. The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a
composite of five riffle cross-sections in Trapper Creek.

48

BIG SHEEP CREEK-RED ROCK RIVER DRAINAGE

■ -^■■^ ■ -"- - ■ ■■--• -^^^^'^=

9^'

®-

N

\

.0^

«3

^-k-
•*<<> ^

\
i

I 00

• CROSS -SECTION SITE

The study areas o£ the Big Sheep Creek-Red Rock River drainage.

Itjt> ■l.l.il.LppjIpEgP

50

1 . STREAM
Cabin Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Cabin Creek originates on the east slope of the Continental Divide in the
Beaverhead Mountains at an elevation of 8,400 ft. The stream flows in a south-
easterly direction for 13.7 miles to its confluence with Big Sheep Creek, a
tributary to the Red Rock River. The 51,200 acre drainage (80 mi2) is heavily
timbered in the extreme upper reaches, but is mainly characterized by high ele-
vation sagebrush-grassland communities. Ownership of the drainage is controlled
by the BLM (35%), USPS (34.2%), private individuals (25.4%) and the State of
Montana (5.4%). Named tributaries of Cabin Creek include Indian, Cow, Porcupine
Canyon, Simpson and Tex creeks. The stream is bordered by a riparian zone of
varying width consisting of willow, grasses and sedges and characterized by a
high degree of beaver activity. The average gradient of the 5.3 ft wide channel
is 22.1 ft/1,000 ft.

Lands within the Cabin Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing and out-
door recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access is provided by a
gravel road and several dirt roads and Jeep trails.

Cabin Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting dis-
trict 328 which supported an estimated 2,522 elk hunter-days and 1,446 deer
hunter-days in 1981 (MDFWP 1982). The drainage provides summer range for elk,
mule deer and antelope and is rated excellent in terms of big game hunting
quality (BLM 1980) . No estimate of fishing pressure is available for
Cabin Creek. However, angler use of the lower portions of the stream was ob-
served during the 1982 field season.

Numerous BLM grazing allotments are included in the large Cabin Creek drain-
age. The headwater region where the present study was undertaken includes por-
tions of two allotments which are managed on a rest-rotation basis. A BLM evalua-
tion of these allotments found them to be in good to excellent condition.

A riparian zone evaluation (Myers 1976) was conducted on an upper reach of
Cabin Creek near the present study area. The riparian condition was rated as
good (BLM 1980) . Riparian zone condition is related to fish habitat and water
quality on small southwestern Montana streams subject to cattle grazing (Myers
1976).

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Cabin Creek was electrofished on July 8 and August 3,
1982. The only game fish collected were westslope cutthroat trout, while mottled
sculpin were the only non-game species collected. Electrofishing survey data
are summarized in Table 17.

51

Table 17. Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of Cabin
Table bumm^ y^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ g^^_ ^2) on July 8 and August 3,

1982.
Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Westslope Cutthroat Trout 78 2.5-6.

Mottled Sculpin

The standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout within the study section was
estimated by using a mark-recapture method (Table 18 ). The section supported 133
smaller (3.0 - 4.9 in) fish representing a biomass of 4 pounds. No estimate ot
larger fish could be derived due to the low number that was captured.

Table 18. Estimated standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout in a 1^000 ft
section of Cabin Creek (T14S, R12W, SE SE Sec. 1, NE NE Sec. 12) on
July 8, 1982. Eighty percent confidence intervals are m parentheses.

Per 1,000 ft
Species Length Group (inches) Number Pounds

Westslope Cutthroat Trout

3.0 - 4.9 133(+56) 4(+2)

BLM biologists collected fish from two 300 ft sections of Cabin Creek m June
and July 1980. Fish preserved for meristic examination during this coUeciton
averaged' 7. 3 inches in length. Meristic examination of cutthroat trout from
Cabin Creek found them to be within the range of characteristics described by
Behnke (1979) and Roscoe (1974) as typifying the westslope strain of cutthroat
trout (J. Roscoe, Unpublished data, 1980). The westslope cutthroat trout ,
once common throughout the upper Missouri River drainage, is classified as a
species of special concern in Montana (Deacon et al . , 1979) . It has been docu-
mented that cutthroat trout are very intolerant of environmental disturbances
and habitat changes, are poor competitors with introduced species, readily
hybridize with rainbow trout and are highly susceptible to fishing pressure
(Hanzel 1961, Behnke and Zarn 1976, Behnke and Benson 1980). These factors
have combined to greatly reduce and restrict the native cutthroat trout popula-
tion of the upper Missouri drainage.

The population survey of the study section revealed a stream habitat capable
of supporting native westslope cutthroat trout. Furthermore, the size composition
of the fish captured indicated that the upper reaches of Cabin Creek may represent
an important spawning and rearing habitat for the cutthroat population of the
drainage .

52

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in an 84 ft riffle sequence located
approximately at stream mile 11.9 (T14S, R12W, SE SE Sec. 1). Approximately 3%_
of the drainage area was located above this sequence. The WETP program was calibrated
to field data collected at flows of 4.9, 1.1, and 0.6 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of five
riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 14. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 0.6 and 0.9 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery, a flow of 0.9 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 - April
30) . Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high flow
period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for Cabin Creek.

53

9i

8-

I-

UJ

H

S

Ul

UJ

4-

3-

2-1

6

FLOW (CFS)

Figure 14. The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a
composite of five riffle cross-sections in Cabin Creek.

54

1 . STREAM
Indian Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Indian Creek originates on the east slope of the Continental Divide in the
Beaverhead Mountains at an elevation of 8,320 ft. The stream flows in an east-
northeasterly direction for approximately 5.0 miles before joining Cabin Creek,
a tributary of Big Sheep Creek and the Red Rock River. The only named tribu-
tary to Indian Creek is Sawlog Creek. The 4,928 acre (7.7 mi2) drainage is
characterized by high elevation sagebrush-grassland communities. Ownership
of the drainage is controlled by the USPS (48.0%), the BLM (32.0%) and private
individuals (20.0%). The stream is bordered by a narrow riparian zone of scat-
tered willow clumps, grasses and sedges. The average gradient of the 2.9 ft
wide channel is 33.3 ft/1,000 ft.

Lands within the Indian Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing and out-
door recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access is provided by a
dirt road paralleling the stream and leads to Morrison Lake, which supports
the majority of the recreational fishing in the immediate vicinity. Morrison
Lake has no surface outlet into the Indian Creek drainage.

Indian Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting
district 328, which supported an estimated 2,522 elk hunter-days and 1,446 deer
hunter-days in 1981 (MDFWP, 1982). The drainage contains antelope and mule deer
summer range and is rated excellent in terms of big game hunting quality
(BLM, 1980). No estimate of fishing pressure is available for Indian Creek.
The stream probably receives little or no fishing pressure due to its small size
and its proximity to major recreational fisheries provided by Big Sheep Creek
and Morrison Lake.

The BLM portion of the drainage is contained in a single grazing allotment
which is managed on a rest-rotation basis. A BLM range evaluation found this
allotment to be in fair condition in terms of soil erosion and in good vegetative
condition, but undergoing a declining trend (BLM, 1980) . An experimental graz-
ing exclosure is currently being monitored on a reach of Indian Creek.

A riparian zone inventory (Myers, 1976) conducted on Indian Creek resulted
in a fair condition rating for the stream (BLM, 1980) . Riparian zone condition
is related to fish habitat and water quality on small southwestern Montana
streams subject to cattle grazing (Myers, 1976).

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Indian Creek was electrofished on July 8 and August 3,
1982. The only fish collected were westslope cutthroat trout. Electrofishing
survey data are summarized in Table 19,

55

Table 19 . Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of
Indian Creek CT14S, R12W, SE NW Sec. 24) on July 8 and August
3, 1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Westslope Cutthroat Trout 18 3.8-7.7

The standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout within the study section was
estimated by using a mark-recapture method (Table 20), The section supported
19 fish representing a biomass of one pound. The low numbers of fish in the study
section possibly result from the limited amount of overhanging brush canopy and
pool cover, combined with the small size of the stream. Fish captured during the
electrofishing survey appeared to be limited to these cover types. A second
1,000 ft section (T14S, R12W, SW NE Sec. 24) located downstream from the study
section was electrofished on July 8, 1982. This section, which was virtually
lacking in overhanging canopy and had very few pools, yielded a total of four
cutthroat trout (5.1 - 6.2 in).

Table 20. Estimated standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout in a 1,000 ft

section of Indian Creek (T14S, R12W, SE, NW Sec. 24) on July 8, 1982.
Eighty percent confidence intervals are in parentheses.

Per 1,000 ft

Species Length Group (inches) Number Pounds

BLM biologists collected fish from a 1,100 ft section of Indian Creek in
July, 1980. Eight fish, averaging 7.3 inches in length, were preserved for meristic
examination from this collection. Meristic examination of cutthroat trout from
Indian Creek found them to be within the range of characteristics described by
Behnke (1979) and Roscoe (1974) as typifying the westslope strain of cutthroat
trout (J. Roscoe, Unpub. data, 1980). The westslope cutthroat trout, once common
throughout the upper Missouri River drainage, is classified as a species of special
concern in Montana (Deacon et al . , 1979). It has been documented that cutthroat
trout are very intolerant of environmental disturbances and habitat changes, are
poor competitors with introduced species, readily hybridize with rainbow trout
and are highly susceptible to fishing pressure (Hanzel 1961, Behnke and Zarn 1976,
Behnke and Benson 1980) . These factors have combined to greatly reduce and
restrict the native cutthroat trout population of the Missouri drainage.

The trout population of the study section revealed a stream habitat capable
of supporting native westslope cutthroat trout. Instream rock structures were
positioned in Indian Creek by BLM volunteers during the summer of 1982. Increased
pool habitat resulting from these structures may increase the cutthroat trout
population of the stream.

56

4. FLOW RECOM-IENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 309 ft riffle sequence located
approximately at stream mile 2.7 (T14S, R12W, SW NE Sec. 24). Approximately 44%
of the drainage area was located above this sequence. The WETP program was cali-
brated to field data collected at flows of 2.6, 1.7 and 0.7 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of five
riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 15. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 0.3 and 0.8 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery, a flow of 0.7 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 -
April 30) . Due to a lack of long term flow data, recommendations for the high
flow period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for Indian Creek.

57

4.0-1

1.0 1.5

FLOW (CFS)

2.5

Figure 15,

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow
for a composite of five riffle cross-sections in
Indian Creek.

58

1 . STREAM
Simpson Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Simpson Creek originates on the east slope of the Continental Divide in the
Beaverhead Mountains at an elevation of approximately 9,280 ft. The stream flows
in an easterly direction for about 8.9 miles to its juncture with Cabin Creek,
a tributary of Big Sheep Creek and the Red Rock River. The only named tributary
of Simpson Creek is Crystal Creek. The 6,912 acre (10.8 mi^) drainage is charac-
terized by steep, heavily timbered slopes in the headwater region and rolling,
sagebrush-grassland slopes in the lower reaches. Ownership of the drainage is
controlled by the USES (45.7%), private individuals (28.6%), the ELM (24.0%) and
the State of Montana (1.7%). The stream is bordered by a relatively broad ripar-
ian zone of willow, birch, grasses and sedges. The average gradient of the 5.5
ft wide channel is 48.9 ft/1,000 ft.

Lands within the Simpson Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing and out-
door recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access is provided by Jeep
trail from Morrison Lake, which supports the majority of the recreational fishing
in the immediate vicinity. Morrison Lake has no surface outlet into Simpson Creek.

Simpson Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting
district 328, which supported an estimated 2,522 elk hunter -days and 1,446 deer
hunter-days in 1981 (MDFWP, 1982). The drainage contains mule deer and antelope
summer range and is rated excellent in terms of big game hunting quality
(BLM, 1980). No estimate of fishing pressure is available for Simpson Creek. The
stream probably receives little fishing pressure due to the remoteness of its
locale, its small size and its proximity to Big Sheep Creek and Morrison Lake,
major recreational fisheries in the area.

The BLM portion of the drainage is contained in a single grazing allotment
which is managed on a rest-rotation basis. A BLM range evaluation found this
allotment to be in fair condition in terms of soil erosion and in good to excel-
lent vegetative condition, but is undergoing a declining trend (BLM, 1980) .

A stream channel stability evaluation (Pfankuch, 1975) resulted in a fair
rating for Simpson Creek, while a riparian zone inventory (Myers, 1976) resulted
in a good condition rating. (BLM, 1980). Riparian zone condition is related to
fish habitat and water quality on small southwest Montana streams subject to
cattle grazing (Myers, 1976).

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Simpson Creek was electrofished on July 8 and August 3,
1982. The only fish collected were westslope cutthroat trout. Electrofishing
survey data are summarized in Table 21.

59

Table 21. Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of
Simpson Creek (T14S, R12W, NE, NW, Sec. 36, SE, SW, Sec. 25) on
August 3 and August 20, 1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Wests lope Cutthroat Trout 36 3.0-6.5

No estimate of standing crop could be derived for the study section due to
a complete lack of recaptured fish. Only seven fish were marked on the August 3
electrofishing run, while 29 were captured on the August 20 recapture run, none
of which bore a fin clip mark. Assuming an equal electrofishing efficiency on
each run, the data indicate movement of fish through the study section. There
is some indication that cutthroat trout of the Cabin Creek drainage, which in-
cludes Indian and Simpson creeks, utilize the headwater reaches of the streams on
a seasonal basis (Lew Myers, BLM Biologist, Personal Communication).

ELM biologists collected fish from the present study section in July, 1980.
Five fish ranging in length from 6.5 - 9.7 inches were preserved for meristic
examination. Examination of these cutthroat trout from Simpson Creek found
them to be within the range of characteristics described by Behnke (1979) and
Roscoe (1974) as typifying the westslope strain of cutthroat trout (J. Roscoe,
Unpub. Data, 1980). The westslope cutthroat trout, once common throughout the
upper Missouri drainage, is classified as a species of special concern in
Montana (Deacon et al . , 1979). It has been documented that cutthroat trout
are very intolerant of environmental disturbances and habitat changes, are poor
competitors with introduced species, readily hybridize with rainbow trout and
are highly susceptible to fishing pressure (Hanzel 1961, Behnke and Zarn 1976,
Behnke and Benson 1980). These factors have combined to greatly reduce and
restrict the native cutthroat trout population of the upper Missouri drainage.

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 208 ft riffle sequence located ap-
proximately at stream mile 6.5 (T14S, R12W, SE SW Sec. 25). Approximately 34%
of the drainage area was located above this sequence. The WETP program was
calibrated to field data collected at flows of 4.7, 1.6 and 0.6 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of five
riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 16. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 0.7 and 1.5 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery, a flow of 1.0 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 -
April 30). Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high
flow period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for Simpson Creek.

Figure 16.

3 4

FLOW (CFS)

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite
of five riffle cross-sections in Simpson Creek.

1

7

61

RED ROCK RIVER DRAINAGE

WVEH

LOWER RED
ROCK LAKE

DIVIDE

t<0

® CROSS -SECTION SITE

The study areas of the Red Rock River drainage.

- ii-.,iim>iw;jtllipWBy.»''P! I'.'j

63

1 . STREAM
Jones Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Jones Creek originates on the north slope of the Centennial Mountains at
the Continental Divide at an elevation of 8,400 ft. The stream flows in a
north-northwesterly direction for about 7.4 miles to its juncture with Winslow
Creek to form Mud Creek, a tributary of the Red Rock River. The 5,317 acre
(8.3 mi2) drainage is heavily timbered in the higher elevations and is charac-
terized by willow bog communities in the lower elevations. Ownership of the
drainage is controlled by the BLM (68.7%) and private individuals (31.3%). Most
of the BLM segment of the drainage is contained in the Centennial Mountains Prima-
tive Area. The stream is bordered by a riparian zone of willow, birch, alder,
aspen, grasses and sedges. A large area of abandoned beaver ponds is located be-
low the study section. The average gradient of the 10.4 ft wide channel is 45
ft/1,000 ft.

Lands within the Jones Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing and outdoor
recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access into the area is restric-
ted by private land ownership in the lower drainage.

Jones Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting dis-
trict 327, which supported an estimated 3,627 elk hunter -days and 1,018 deer
hunter-days in 1981(MDFWP, 1982). The drainage contains important grizzly bear,
moose, elk and mule deer habitat and is rated excellent in terms of big game
hunting quality (BLM, 1980). Fisherman use of Jones Creek has been estimated
at 1,884 fisherman-days/year in 1975-76 (MDFWP, 1976). In light of the restric-
ted access to Jones Creek, this estimate is probably inflated due to a small
sample size.

The BLM controlled portion of the drainage is included in a single grazing
allotment which is managed on a deferred-rotation basis. A BLM range evaluation
found this allotment to be in good erosional condition and fair vegetative shape,
but undergoing a declining trend (BLM, 1980).

A stream channel stability evaluation (Pfankuch, 1975) resulted in a good
rating for Jones Creek. However, a riparian zone inventory (Myers, 1976) resulted
in an unsatisfactory rating for the stream. Numerous areas of active bank ero-
sion were observed along the Jones Creek channel, and sedimentation on the cobble
substrate was observed to be extreme during the 1982 field season.

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Jones Creek was electrofished on July 29 and August 12,
1982. The only game fish collected were westslope cutthroat trout, while mottled
sculpins were the only non-game species present. Electrofishing survey data are
summarized in Table 22.

64

Table 22. Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of Jones
Creek (T14S, R3W, SE, NE, Sec. 33) on July 29 and August 12, 1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Wests lope Cutthroat Trout 55 2.0-9.0

Mottled Sculpin

The standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout within the study section was
estimated by using a mark-recapture method (Table 23). The section supported 31
fish representing a biomass of four pounds. Fish six inches and longer comprised
39% of the population, and fish condition (length to weight ratio) was excellent.

Table 23. Estimated standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout in a 1,000 ft
section of Jones Creek (T14S, R3W, SE NE Sec. 33) on July 29, 1982.
Eighty percent confidence intervals are in parentheses.

Per 1,000 ft

Species Length Group (inches) Number Pounds

Meristic examination of representative fish collected from Jones Creek found
them to be within the range of characteristics described by Behnke (1979) and
Roscoe (1974) as typifying the westslope strain of cutthroat trout (J. Roscoe,
Unpub. Data, 1982). The westslope cutthroat trout, once common throughout the
upper Missouri River drainage, is classified as a species of special concern
in Montana (Deacon et al . , 1979). It has been documented that cutthroat trout
are very intolerant of environmental disturbances and habitat changes, are poor
competitors with introduced species, readily hybridize with rainbow trout and
are highly susceptible to fishing pressure (Hanzel 1961, Behnke and Zarn 1976,
Behnke and Benson 1980) . These factors' have combined to greatly reduce and re-
strict the native cutthroat trout population of the upper Missouri drainage.

The trout population of the study section revealed a stream habitat capable
of supporting native westslope cutthroat trout. Trout numbers within the study
section may have been limited by the extreme sedimentation that was observed
throughout the reach.

65

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 136 ft riffle sequence located
approximately at stream mile 4.5 (T14S. R3W, SE, NE Sec. 33). Approximately
48% of the drainage area was located above this sequence. The WETP program
was calibrated to field data collected at flows of 7.0, 3.2 and 1.7 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of five
riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 17. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 1.3 and 3.0 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery, a flow of 2.0 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 -
April 30) . Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high
flow period [May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for Jones Creek.

66

12-1

II

lOH

U

UJ

I 9-

Ul

U

8-

7-

6-

4 6

FLOW (CFS)

8

10

Figure 17. The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a
composite of five riffle cross-sections in Jones Creek.

67

1. STREAM
Peet Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

Peet Creek originates on the north slope of the Centennial Mountains at the
Continental Divide at an elevation of approximately 8,600 ft. The stream flows
in a north-northwesterly direction for 9.1 miles to its mouth on the Red Rock
River, The 13,760 acre (21.5 mi^) drainage is characterized by heavily timbered
slopes in the higher elevations, sagebrush-grassland communities in the mid-
elevations and willow bog communities near the stream mouth. Ownership of the
drainage is controlled by private individuals (56.7%), the BLM (34.0%) and the
State of Montana (9.3%). Several small unnamed lakes are located in the
upper drainage, and a small irrigation storage reservoir located on private
land below the study area inundates a portion of the drainage. The stream is
bordered by a relatively broad riparian zone of willow, birch, alder, aspen,
grasses and sedges, and is marked by numerous areas of beaver activity. The
only named tributary of Peet Creek is the East Fork of Peet Creek. The average
gradient of the 8.1 ft wide channel is 41.6 ft/ 1,000 ft.

Lands within the Peet Creek drainage are used for cattle grazing and outdoor
recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access is provided by a gravel
road from the Price Creek drainage and a privately controlled dirt road which
parallels the stream.

Peet Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana deer and elk hunting
district 327, which supported an estimated 3,627 elk hunter-days and 1,018 deer
hunter-days in 1981 (MDFWP, 1982). The drainage supports important moose and
elk habitat and mule deer suimmer range and is rated excellent in terms of big
game hunting quality. No estimate of fishing pressure is available for Peet
Creek. However, fisherman use in the vicinity of the irrigation reservoir was
observed during the 1982 field season.

The BLM controlled portion of the drainage is included in a single grazing
allotment which is managed on a rest -rotation basis. A BLM range evaluation
found this allotment to be in good erosional condition and excellent vegetative
shape, but undergoing a declining trend (BLM, 1980) .

A stream channel stability evaluation (Pfankuch, 1975) conducted below the
storage reservoir resulted in a fair rating for Peet Creek, while riparian zone
evaluations (Myers, 1976) conducted in the present study area resulted in poor
to fair ratings for the stream (BLM, 1980) . Riparian zone condition is related
to fish habitat and water quality in small southwest Montana streams subject to
cattle grazing (Myers, 1976).

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of Peet Creek was electrofished on July 29 and August 12,
1982. The only game fish collected were westslope cutthroat trout, while mottled
sculpins were the only non-game species present. Electrofishing survey data are
summarized in Table 24.

68

Table 24, Summary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of

Peet Creek (T15S, R4W, NW NE Sec. 3) on July 29 and August 12, 1982,

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Wests lope Cutthroat Trout 204 2.2-8.5

Mottled Sculpin

The standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout within the study section was
estimated using a mark-recapture method (Table 25). The section supported 312
fish representing a biomass of 11 pounds. Only 1% of the fish were six inches
or larger, while 78% were between 3.0 and 3.9 inches in length. Fish condition
(length to weight ratio) was good in the Peet Creek population.

Table 25. Estimated standing crop of westslope cutthroat trout in a 1,000 ft
section of Peet Creek (T15S, R4W, NW, NE, Sec. 3) on July 29, 1982.
Eighty percent confidence intervals are in parentheses.

Per 1,000 ft

Species Length Group (inches) Number Pounds

Westslope Cutthroat Trout 3.0-3.9 243

4.0 - 5.4 56

5.5 - 8.5 13

312(+72) ll(+2)

Meristic examination of representative fish collected from Peet Creek found
them to be within the range of characteristics described by Behnke (1979) and
Roscoe (1974) as typifying the westslope strain of cutthroat trout (J. Roscoe,
Unpub. Data, 1982). The westslope cutthroat trout, once common throughout the
upper Missouri River drainage, is classified as a species of special concern
in Montana (Deacon et al . , 1979), It has been documented that cutthroat trout
are very intolerant of environmental disturbances and habitat changes, are poor
competitors with introduced species, readily hybridize with rainbow trout and
are highly susceptible to fishing pressure (Hanzel 1961, Behnke and Zarn 1976,
Behnke and Benson 1980) . These factors have combined to greatly reduce and
restrict the native cutthroat trout population of the upper Missouri drainage.

The trout population of the study section revealed a stream habitat capable
of supporting native westslope cutthroat trout. Size distributions within the
estimated population indicate that Peet Creek provides important spawning and
rearing habitat for a population in which many of the larger fish occupy the
downstream storage reservoir on a seasonal basis (J, Roscoe, BLM Biologist, Per-
sonal Communication) .

69

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 179 ft riffle sequence located
approximately at stream mile 6.5 (T15S, R4W, NW NE Sec. 3). Approximately
in of the drainage area was located above this sequence. The WETP program
was calibrated to field data collected at flows of 16.6, 4.3 and 1.3 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of five
riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 18. Lower and upper inflection points
occur at 0.9 and 1.3 cfs, respectively. Based on an evaluation of the existing
fishery, a flow of 1.3 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 -
April 30) . Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high
flow period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for Peet Creek.

70

4 6

FLOW (CFS)

10

Figure 18.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for
a comoosite of five riffle cross-sections in Peet Creek

71

RUBY RIVER DRAINAGE

72

• CROSS- SECTION SITE

The study area of the Ruby River drainage.

73

1 . STREAM

North Fork of Greenhorn Creek

2. DESCRIPTION

The North Fork of Greenhorn Creek originates on the west slope of the Greenhorn
Mountains at an elevation of approximately 9,160 ft. The stream flows in a west-
southwesterly direction for 7.4 miles to its juncture with the South Fork to
form Greenhorn Creek, a tributary of the Ruby River. The 8,192 acre (12.8 mi^)
drainage is characterized by steep, heavily timbered, north-facing slopes and
south-facing slopes bearing numerous clearings. Ownership of the drainage is
controlled by the USPS (78.8%), the BLM (19.7%) and private individuals (1.5%).
The stream is bordered by a relatively broad riparian zone of willow, alder,
birch, dogwood, aspen and grasses. Areas of beaver activity are found in the
lower reaches of the stream. Named tributaries of the North Fork include Dark
Hollow Creek and the Meadow Fork of Greenhorn Creek. The average gradient of the
9.6 ft wide channel is 81.9 ft/1,000 ft.

Lands within the drainage are used for cattle and sheep grazing and outdoor
recreation in the form of hunting and fishing. Access is provided by a dirt
road which parallels the stream.

The North Fork of Greenhorn Creek lies within the boundaries of Montana
deer and elk hunting district 322, which supported an estimated 7,149 elk hunter-
days and 5,372 deer hunter-days in 1981 (MDFWP, 1982). The drainage contains
crucial deer and elk winter range and moose winter range and was rated excellent
in terms of big game hunting quality (BLM, 1980). No estimate of fishing pressure
is available for the stream, however, some fisherman use was observed during the
1982 field season.

The BLM controlled portion of the drainage is included in a single grazing
allotment which is managed on a deferred-rotation basis. A BLM range evaluation
found the allotment to be in fair condition in terms of soil erosion but in
excellent vegetative condition (BLM, 1980) .

A riparian zone inventory (Myers, 1976) conducted on the stream resulted in
a good condition rating, while a BLM district survey rated the fish habitat
as being in excellent condition (BLM, 1980). Riparian zone condition is related
to fish habitat and water quality on small southwest Montana streams subject
to cattle grazing (Myers, 1976).

The Greenhorn Creek drainage was placer mined for gold in the early 1900 's
(Lyden, 1948). The exact locations of these placers are not known, and no indica-
tions of placer work were observed in the vicinity of the study area.

3. FISHERIES

A 1,000 ft section of the North Fork of Greenhorn Creek was electrofished on
August 5, and August 18, 1982. Game fish collected in descending order of abun-
dance were brook trout and westslope cutthroat trout. Electrofishing survey data
are summarized in Table 26.

74

Table 26 Simmary of electrofishing survey data for a 1,000 ft section of the
North Fork of Greenhorn Creek (T8S, R4W, SE, NW Sec. 24) on August 5,
and August 18, 1982.

Species No. Captured Length Range (inches)

Brook Trout 47 1.5-10.2

Wests lope Cutthroat Trout 19 2.8-9.9

The standing crop of brook trout within the study section was estimated by
using a mark-recapture method (Table 27). No estimate of westslope cutthroat
trout could be derived due to a lack of sufficient numbers of recaptured fish to
insure statistical reliability. The section supported 33 brook trout representing
a biomass of three pounds. Brook trout six inches and longer comprised 28% of the
estimated population. Brook trout condition (length to weight ratio) was excel-
lent and far above the average found for populations in Big Hole River tributaries
(Oswald, 1981).

Table 27. Estimated standing crop of brook trout in a 1,000 ft section of the

North Fork of Greenhorn Creek (T8S, R4W, SE, NW, Sec. 24) on August 5,
1982. Eighty percent confidence intervals are in parentheses.

Per 1,000 ft

Species Length Group (inches) Number Pounds

Brook Trout 4.0 - 5.4 21

5.5 - 10.2 12

33(+8) 3(+l)

Meristic examination of representative cutthroat trout collected from the
North Fork of Greenhorn Creek found them to be within the range of characteristics
described by Behnke (1979) and Roscoe (1974) as typifying the westslope strain
of cutthroat trout (J. Roscoe, Unpub. Data, 1982). The westslope cutthroat
trout, once common throughout the upper Missouri River drainage is classified
as a species of special concern in Montana (Deacon et al . , 1979). It has been
documented that cutthroat trout are very intolerant of environmental disturbances
and habitat changes, are poor competitors with introduced species, readily hybrid-
ize with rainbow trout and are highly susceptible to fishing pressure (Hanzel 1961,
Behnke and Zarn 1976, Behnke and Benson 1980). These factors have combined to
greatly reduce and restrict the native cutthroat trout population of the upper
Missouri drainage.

75

The trout population o£ the study section revealed a stream habitat capable
of supporting native westslope cutthroat trout and a recreational stream fishery
for catchable sized brook and cutthroat trout.

4. FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS

Cross-sectional data were collected in a 136 ft riffle sequence located
approximately at stream mile 1.2 CT8S, R4W, SE NW Sec. 24). Approximately 93%
of the drainage area was located above this sequence. The WETP program was
calibrated to field data collected at flows of 49.9, 7.7 and 3.0 cfs.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for a composite of
four riffle cross-sections is shown in Figure 19. Lower and upper inflection
points occur at 2.0 and 3.5 cfs. Based on an evaluation of the existing fish-
ery, a flow of 3.0 cfs is recommended for the low flow period (July 1 - April
30) . Due to a lack of long-term flow data, recommendations for the high flow
period (May 1 - June 30) cannot be derived for the North Fork of Greenhorn Creek,

«

76

9

«

8-

UJ

H 7
U

s

UJ
°- 6

UJ

UJ

5-

4 6

FLOW (CFS)

8

iO

Figure 19.

The relationship between wetted perimeter and flow for
a composite of four riffle cross-sections in the
North Fork of Greenhorn Creek.

77

Y

LITERATURE CITED

Behnke, R.J. 1979. The native trouts of the genus Salmo of western North
America. Monograph, USPS, US Fish and Wildlife Service, BLM. 163 pp.

and D.E. Benson. 1980. Endangered and threatened fishes of the

upper Colorado River Basin, Coop. Ext. Service, Colorado State Univ., Ft,
Collins, Bull. 503A. 34 pp.

and M. Zam. 1976. Biology and management of threatened and

endangered western trouts. USES Tech. Rpt. RM-28, Rocky Mtn. Forest
and Range Exp. Station, Ft. Collins, Col. 45 pp.

Bovee, K.D. 1974. The determination, assessment and design of "instream
value" studies for the Northern Great Plains region. Univ. of Montana.
Final Report, Contract No. 68-01-2413, Envir. Prot . Agency. 204 pp.

Brown, C.J.D. 1971. Fishes of Montana. Big Sky Books, Montana State
University, Bozeman, Montana. 207 pp.

Bureau of Land Management. 1980. Mountain foothills grazing management

progran. Draft EIS, Dept. of Interior, BLM, Butte District Office. 308 pp.

Collings, Mike. 1972. A methodology for determining instream flow requirements
for fish. In Proceedings of Instream Flow Methodology Workshop. Washington
Dept. of Ecology, Olympia, Wash. pp. 72-86.

. 1974. Generalization of spawning and rearing discharges for

several Pacific salmon species in western Washington. USGS, Open File
Report. 39 pp.

Deacon, J.E., G. Kobetich, J.D. Williams and S. Contrevas . 1979. Fishes of
North America Endangered, Threatened, or of Special Concern: 1979,
Fisheries 4(2) : 29-44.

Emmett, W.W. 1972. The hydraulic geometry of some Alaskan streams south of
the Yukon River. US Geological Survey open-file rept. 102 pp.

. 1975. The channels and waters of the upper Salmon River area,

Idaho. ^Geol. Survey professional paper 870-A, US Gov't. Printing Off.,
Washington. 96 pp.

Foggin, G.T., T.D. Reid and S.J. Gilbert. 1978. Dillon resource area resources
inventory: water quality survey. Montana Forest and Conservation Experi-
ment Station, Missoula, Montana. Five volumes.

Hanzel, D.A. 1961. The distribution of the cutthroat trout {Salmo clavki) in
Montana. Proc. Mont. Acad. Sci. 19:32-71.

78

Leopold, L.B., G.M. Wolman and J. P. Miller. 1964. Fluvial processes in
geomorphology. W.H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco. 522 pp.

Lyden, Charles. 1948. The gold placers of Montana. Memoir #26. State of
Montana, Bureau of Mines, Butte, Montana. 152 pp.

Montana Department of Fish and Game. 1976. Estimated man-days of fishing
pressure by region for the summer and winter season, May 1975-April
1976. Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife § Parks, Helena.

Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife § Parks. 1982. Harvest statistics for deer
and elk for the 1981 hunting season. MDFWP, Helena.

Myers, L.H. 1976. Woody riparian survey. BLM, Dillon Resource Area, Unnub. 15 pp.

Nelson, F.A. 1977. Beaverhead River and Clark Canyon Reservoir fishery study.
Montana Dept. of Fish and Game. 118 pp.

. 1980. Guidelines for using the wetted perimeter (WETP) compu-

ter program of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 8695
Huffine Lane, Bozeman, MT. 23 pp.

Oswald, Richard A. 1981. Aquatic resources inventory of the Mount Haggin
area. Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Helena, MT. 89 pp.

Pfankuch, D.J. 1975. Stream reach inventory and channel stability evaluation.
USDA Forest Service - Northern Region, Missoula, MT. 26 pp.

Roscoe, J.W. 1974. Systematics of the westslope cutthroat trout. Mstrs.
thesis. Col. State Univ., Ft. Collins. 74 pp.

Sando, S.K. 1981. The spawning and rearing habitats of rainbow trout and
brown trout in two rivers in Montana. M.S. Thesis, Montana State
University, Bozeman, MT. 67 pp.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 1973. Appendix H-sedimentation. Pages 789-795
In Design of small dams. US Gov't Printing Office, Washington.

Vincent, E.R. 1971. River electrofishing and fish population estimates. Prog.
Fish Cult., 33C3):163-169.

. 1974. Addendum to river electrofishing and fish population

estimates. Prog. Fish Cult., 36(3) :182.

White, Robert G, 1976. A methodology for recommending stream resource mainten-
ance flows for large rivers. In Proceedings of the Symp. and Spec. Conf. on
Instream Flow needs, ed. J.F. Orsborn and C.H. Allman. Vol. 11, pp. 367-
386. Amer. Fish. Soc, Bethesda, MD.

White, Robert and Tim Cochnauer. 1975. Stream resource maintenance flow
studies. Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game and Idaho Coop. Fishery Research
Unit Report. 136 pp.