REPORT ON WILD AND SCENIC RIVER ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS ON THE BRIDGER-TETON NATIONAL FOREST, WYOMING FEBRUARY 2021 Charles Wolf Drimal Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Waters Conservation Coordinator Teddy Collins Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Field Technician Orion Hatch Snake River Fund, Field Technician © 2021 Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Snake River Fund, American Rivers, The Pew Charitable Trusts Cover photo by Charles Wolf Drimal: Lake Creek of the South Buffalo Fork, Snake River Watershed 2 Report on Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations on the Bridger-Teton National Forest TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgment…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6 Streams Determined to Meet Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Criteria (Table)………………………………………..7 Outstandingly Remarkable Values & Abbreviations (Table)……………………………………………………………………..7 Coantag Creek – Bear River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………………8 Hobble Creek – Bear River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Poker Creek – Bear River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Salt Creek– Bear River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………………………9 Smiths Fork – Bear River Watershed……………………………………………………………………………………………9 Bare Creek – Green River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………………….9 Big Sandy River – Green River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………10 Boulder Creek (3) – Green River Watershed……………………………………………………………………………..10 Clear Creek (4) – Green River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………….11 Fish Creek (3) – Green River Watershed……………………………………………………………………………………11 Fontenelle Creek – Green River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………12 Fremont Creek – Green River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………….12 Hams Fork – Green River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………………13 Lake Creek (6) – Green River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………..13 New Fork River – Green River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………13 North Cottonwood Creek – Green River Watershed………………………………………………………………….14 North Fork Boulder Creek – Green River Watershed…………………………………………………………………14 North Horse Creek – Green River Watershed……………………………………………………………………………15 North Piney Creek – Green River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………….15 Porcupine Creek (3) – Green River Watershed………………………………………………………………………….16 Slide Creek (1) – Green River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………….16 South Cottonwood Creek – Green River Watershed…………………………………………………………………17 South LaBarge Creek – Green River Watershed………………………………………………………………………..17 South Piney Creek – Green River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………….18 3 Report on Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations on the Bridger-Teton National Forest West Fork Hams Fork – Green River Watershed……………………………………………………………………….18 Arizona Creek – Snake River Watershed……………………………………………………………………………………18 Cache Creek – Snake River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………………19 Corral Creek (2) – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………19 Cottonwood Creek (1) – Snake River Watershed……………………………………………………………………….20 Dell Creek (2) – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………….20 Enos Creek – Snake River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………………..21 Fall Creek – Snake River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………………….21 Fish Creek (1) – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………….22 Flat Creek (1) – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………….22 Game Creek – Snake River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………………22 Goosewing Creek – Snake River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………23 Jack Creek – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………………23 Lake Creek (1) – Snake River Watershed……………………………………………………………………………………23 Lost Creek (1) – Snake River Watershed……………………………………………………………………………………24 Murphy Creek – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………..24 North Fork Fall Creek – Snake River Watershed………………………………………………………………………..25 North Fork Fish Creek (1) – Snake River Watershed………………………………………………………………….25 North Fork Spread Creek – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………..26 North Three Forks Creek – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………..26 Pilgrim Creek – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………….27 Sheep Creek (4) – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………27 Shoal Creek – Snake River Watershed……………………………………………………………………………………….28 Slate Creek – Snake River Watershed………………………………………………………………………………………..28 South Fork Fish Creek – Snake River Watershed……………………………………………………………………….29 South Fork Hoback River – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………..29 South Fork Spread Creek – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………..29 Spread Creek – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………….30 Strawberry Creek (2) – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………30 4 Report on Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations on the Bridger-Teton National Forest West Bailey Creek – Snake River Watershed……………………………………………………………………………..31 West Dell Creek – Snake River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………………31 Pass Creek – Yellowstone River Watershed……………………………………………………………………………….32 Silvertip Creek- Yellowstone River Watershed…………………………………………………………………………..32 About Wild and Scenic Rivers…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………33 Methodology…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………34 Maps……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..39 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Overview (Bridger-Teton NF)………………….……39 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Overview (Public Lands & Reservation)……….40 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Overview (Designated Wilderness)……………..41 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Overview (North)………………………………………..42 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Overview (South)………………………………………..43 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Native Cutthroat Trout……………………………….44 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Climate Refugia…………………………………………..45 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Elk Migrations…………………………………………….46 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Mule Deer Migrations…………………………………47 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Moose Migrations………………………………………48 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Path of the Pronghorn………………………………..49 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Grizzly Bear Priority Habitat………………………..50 Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations – Wolverine Sightings…………………………………….51 References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….52 Appendix A. Cultural ORVs of Smiths Fork and Hams Fork……………………………………………………………………..54 Appendix B. Blog Post July 11, 2020……………………………………………………………………………………………………….55 Appendix C. Blog Post August 11, 2020………………………………………………………………………………………………….56 Appendix D. Blog Post October 8, 2020………………………………………………………………………………………………….57 Appendix E: Blog Post October 15, 2020………………………………………………………………………………………………..58 Appendix F: Wild & Scenic Rivers Eligibility Analysis Data Sheet…………………………………………………………….59 5 Report on Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Determinations on the Bridger-Teton National Forest Acknowledgement The rivers and creeks of the Bridger-Teton National Forest have been home to indigenous people for over 10,000 years. In the most recent millennium, over a dozen tribes have considered these waters part of their traditional homelands. This includes, but is not limited to, several tribes of Shoshone, Bannock, Lemhi, Niitsitapi/Blackfeet, Nez Perce, Salish, Apsaalooke/Crow and Arapaho. We are indebted to indigenous peoples’ stewardship of these streams. Introduction The following report contains determinations by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Snake River Fund, American Rivers and The Pew Charitable Trusts for new eligible Wild and Scenic Rivers on the Bridger- Teton National Forest. This project was developed and managed by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC), with technical support from the Snake River Fund (SRF), and with financial support and insight from American Rivers and The Pew Charitable Trusts. The report was generated through a combination of field data collection by Greater Yellowstone Coalition and Snake River Fund employees, Geographical Information System (GIS) analysis, interviews with outfitters, biologists and tribal members, peer reviewed literature, scientific papers, ecological and climate models, and wildlife and fisheries data. The Bridger-Teton National Forest spans 3.5 million acres in northwest Wyoming, covering much of the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. These lands host a diverse assemblage of species and ecoregions, along with thousands of miles of wild rivers and cold, clean water. This expansive national forest includes remote alpine basins, healthy riparian areas, world renown ungulate migrations, four subspecies of native cutthroat trout (Bonneville, Colorado, Snake River, Yellowstone), sensitive mammalian species such as grizzly bear and wolverine, and historically significant traditional homelands to more than a dozen Native American tribes. The Bridger-Teton National Forest has 783 named streams across six ranger districts. Every ranger district of the Bridger-Teton National Forest is located within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) of northwest Wyoming. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition and Snake River Fund reviewed all 783 streams and chose to