Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment
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最愀氀氀愀琀椀渀 挀愀渀礀漀渀 爀椀瘀攀爀 愀 挀挀攀猀猀 猀椀琀攀 愀 猀猀攀猀猀洀 攀渀琀 GALLATIN CANYON RIVER ACCESS SITE ASSESSMENT by Jeff Dunn, Watershed Hydrologist Zac Collins, GIS Analyst 3810 Valley Commons Drive, Suite 4 Bozeman, Montana 59718 prepared for PO Box 160513 Big Sky, Montana 59716 June 19, 2015 Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................... i List of Tables .................................................................................................................................................. i List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................. i Attachments ................................................................................................................................................... i Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Reach 1 - Yellowstone National Park Boundary to Cinnamon Creek ............................................................ 5 Reach 2 - Cinnamon Creek to Porcupine Creek ............................................................................................ 7 Reach 3 - Porcupine Creek to Portal Creek ................................................................................................... 9 Reach 4 - Portal Creek to Lava Lake ............................................................................................................ 12 Reach 5 - Lava Lake to Spanish Creek ......................................................................................................... 15 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Floating Reach Lengths.................................................................................................................... 4 Table 2. River Access Sites in Reach 1 (MM31-1 to MM36-1) ...................................................................... 5 Table 3. River Access Sites in Reach 2 (MM37-1 to MM44-3) ...................................................................... 7 Table 4. River Access Sites in Reach 3 (MM45-1 to MM53-2) .................................................................... 10 Table 5. River Access Sites in Reach 4 (MM53-1 to MM60-4) .................................................................... 13 Table 6. River Access Sites in Reach 5 (MM61-1 to MM68-1) .................................................................... 16 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment Reaches ................................................................ 2 Figure 2. Gallatin River Floating Access Sites ................................................................................................ 3 Figure 3. Gallatin River Access in Reach 1 ..................................................................................................... 6 Figure 4. Gallatin River Access in Reach 2 ..................................................................................................... 8 Figure 5. Gallatin River Access in Reach 3 ................................................................................................... 11 Figure 6. Gallatin River Access in Reach 4 ................................................................................................... 14 Figure 7. Gallatin River Access in Reach 5 ................................................................................................... 17 ATTACHMENTS Attachment A Gallatin River Access Sites: Highway 191 Mile Marker 31 through Mile Marker 69 6/19/15 i Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment INTRODUCTION The Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment examines 39.6 miles of the Gallatin River between the Yellowstone National Park boundary and Spanish Creek. Within the project area, floating access and fishing access sites were mapped in 2015 using color aerial imagery from 2013 and 2014 and on-the- ground observations in 2015. In addition, local fishing outfitters and rafting companies, along with individuals from the rafting and kayaking communities, provided input on river access site usage. For each river access site, the usage type, access type, and potential treatments to improve the site was identified. For this assessment, the Gallatin Canyon is broken into five reaches progressing from upstream to downstream (Figure 1): • Reach 1 - Yellowstone National Park Boundary to Cinnamon Creek • Reach 2 - Cinnamon Creek to Porcupine Creek • Reach 3 - Porcupine Creek to Portal Creek • Reach 4 - Portal Creek to Lava Lake • Reach 5 - Lava Lake to Spanish Creek Within these five reaches, river access sites are numbered to correlate with the highway mile markers, which progress from Mile Marker 31 at the upstream end of the project area downstream to Mile Marker 68 at Spanish Creek. A total of 111 points of access to the Gallatin River were identified, including: • 41 user-created go downs off Highway 191 (including 3 that extend off of MDT pull-outs) • 39 Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) pull-outs off Highway 191 • 14 user-created pull-outs off Highway 191 • 7 trailheads • 4 United States Forest Service (USFS) pull-outs located on USFS maintained roads • 4 parking areas • 3 USFS campgrounds • 2 USFS river access sites Out of the 111 points of access to the Gallatin River, 22 sites are regularly used to access the river for floating (Figure 2 and Table 1). The only official signed river access point is at Storm Castle (Upper), while Deer Creek, Moose Creek Flat, Lava Lake, and Storm Castle (Lower) are all common points of access for floating. Several other sites are commonly used based on streamflow and water craft, including The Big Pull-out, Doe, Porcupine Bridge, West Fork, No Tell, Greek Creek, Thumper, and the Low Water Take-out. River access within each of the five reaches is described within the following sections and each of the 111 individual river access sites are presented in Attachment A progressing from upstream to downstream. 6/19/15 1 Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment Figure 1. Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment Reaches 6/19/15 2 Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment Figure 2. Gallatin River Floating Access Sites 6/19/15 3 Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment Table 1. Floating Reach Lengths Floating Reach Length (Miles) 55 MPH sign for YNP to The Big Pull-out 8.6 The Big Pull-out to Red Cliff 1.9 Red Cliff to Twin Cabin Creek 2.2 Twin Cabin Creek to Doe 0.9 Doe to Porcupine Creek 1.0 Porcupine Creek to Upstream of the West Fork 2.9 Upstream of the West Fork to Stop Light 0.1 Stop Light to Jack Smith Bridge 2.0 Jack Smith Bridge to Deer Creek 2.1 Deer Creek to Portal Creek 2.2 Portal Creek to Karst 2.0 Karst to Moose Creek Flat 0.6 Moose Creek Flat to No Tell 1.6 No Tell to Greek Creek Pull-out 0.4 Greek Creek Pull-out to Greek Creek Campground 0.2 Greek Creek Campground to Thumper 1.9 Thumper to Lava Lake 1.2 Lava Lake to Low Water Take-out 1.9 Low Water Take-out to Storm Castle (Upper) 0.2 Storm Castle (Upper) to Storm Castle (Lower) 2.1 6/19/15 4 Gallatin Canyon River Access Site Assessment REACH 1 - YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY TO CINNAMON CREEK Reach 1 extends 6.3 river miles between the Yellowstone National Park boundary and the confluence with Cinnamon Creek and includes one floating access site. The Gallatin River is relatively unconfined in Reach 1 as it flows through broad sagebrush meadows. This section of the Gallatin River closely resembles conditions within Yellowstone National Park, which is located just upstream. Reach 1 contains 16 river access points, which are mostly comprised of Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) pull-outs and user-made go-downs that are used to access the river for fishing (Figure 3 and Table 2). User-made go-downs within this reach are relatively confined and several have boulders limiting the footprint of the go-downs. A network of user-made trails connects many of the access sites. Rafting occurs within this section during high-water, though there is no official point for floating access. Priorities for Reach 1 include: 1) Provide for raft access downstream of YNP boundary 2) Improve access to walk-in fishing site upstream of Taylor Fork 3) Revegetate degraded conditions 4) Traction sand BMPs 5) Maintain natural setting 6) Develop signage for named river access points 7) Address concerns regarding non-permitted guided fishing 8) Manage go-downs at Mile Markers 33-4, 34-1, 34-2, 35-2 and 36-1 Table 2. River Access Sites in Reach 1 (MM31-1 to MM36-1) Mile Marker Access Type Site Name Usage Type 1 Usage Type 2 MM31-1 Pull-out, MDT YNP Boundary Walk-in Fishing MM31-2 Go-down at 55 MPH sign for YNP Walk-in Fishing Floating MM31-3 Pull-out, MDT Snowflake Springs Elk Exclosure Walk-in Fishing MM32-1 Pull-out, MDT Snowflake Springs Walk-in Fishing MM32-2 Go-down Upstream of Sage Creek Walk-in Fishing MM33-1 Pull-out, MDT Downstream of Sage Creek Walk-in Fishing MM33-2 Go-down Across from Sage Creek Trailhead Walk-in Fishing MM33-3 Pull-out, MDT Across from Taylor Fork Road Walk-in Fishing MM33-4 Go-down Upstream of Taylor Fork Walk-in Fishing MM34-1 Go-down Downstream of Taylor Fork Walk-in Fishing MM34-2 Go-down Walk-in Fishing MM34-3 Pull-out, MDT Walk-in Fishing MM34-4 Pull-out, MDT Walk-in Fishing MM35-1 Pull-out, MDT Walk-in