Lower Clark Fork Tributary Watershed Restoration Plan View from 8 Mile Bridge, Bull River. Photo Credit: Mariah R. Williams October 2019 1 Acknowledgements: Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group has taken the lead in organizing and drafting the Lower Clark Fork Tributary Watershed Restoration Plan, but the completion of this plan was only possible with the contribution of many local stakeholders throughout the Lower Clark Fork Tributary Planning Area. Authors: Sarah Bowman – Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group Brita Olson – Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group Contributing Stakeholders: Avista: Sean Moran Bull River Watershed Council: Kathy Ferguson, Tom McDowell Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group: Ryan Kreiner, Sean Moran, Regan Plumb, Ruth Watkins Montana Department of Environmental Quality: Eric Trum Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks: Jason Blakney, Ryan Kreiner Natural Resources Conservation Service: Troy Hidy RC Resources: Ed Kline Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana: Samantha Tappenbeck Trout Unlimited: Christine Brissette United States Forest Service – Kootenai National Forest: Doug Grupenhoff, Craig Neesvig United States Forest Service – Lolo National Forest: Jon Hanson, Josh Shulze Funders: Avista Clark Fork Settlement Agreement Bureau of Reclamation Cooperative Watershed Management Program Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Watershed Management Grant Program 223 Program 2 Table of Contents Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 Section 1: Introduction and Background ...................................................................................................... 5 1.1: Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 5 1.2: Background to Watershed Restoration Planning ..................................................................... 8 1.3: Causes and Sources of Impairments and Associated TMDLs.................................................... 9 1.4: Lower Clark Fork Tributary Watershed Restoration Plan Development ................................ 15 Section 2: Lower Clark Fork Watershed Characterization .......................................................................... 18 Section 3: Watershed-Wide Management Recommendations .................................................................. 31 Section 4: Priorities for Restoration ............................................................................................................ 37 4.1: Beaver Creek Watershed ........................................................................................................ 38 4.2: Blue Creek Watershed ............................................................................................................ 48 4.3: Bull River Watershed .............................................................................................................. 53 4.4: Elk Creek Watershed ............................................................................................................... 66 4.5: Graves Creek Watershed ........................................................................................................ 73 4.6: Marten Creek Watershed ....................................................................................................... 78 4.7: Pilgrim Creek Watershed ........................................................................................................ 83 4.8: Prospect Creek Watershed ..................................................................................................... 89 4.9: Rock Creek Watershed .......................................................................................................... 109 4.10: Swamp Creek Watershed ................................................................................................... 115 4.11: Trout Creek Watershed ...................................................................................................... 121 4.12: Vermilion River Watershed ................................................................................................. 125 4.13: Additional Tributaries ......................................................................................................... 132 Section 5: Available Resources ................................................................................................................. 140 5.1: Technical Resources .............................................................................................................. 140 5.2: Financial Resources ............................................................................................................... 145 5.3: Monitoring Resources ........................................................................................................... 150 Section 6: Progress Evaluation .................................................................................................................. 153 6.1: Milestones............................................................................................................................. 153 6.2: Monitoring ............................................................................................................................ 154 Section 7: References ................................................................................................................................ 157 3 Acronyms BMP: Best Management Practice BPA: Bonneville Power Administration CFSA: Clark Fork Settlement Agreement CWA: Clean Water Act CWAIC: Clean Water Act Information Center DEQ: [Montana] Department of Environmental Quality DNRC: [Montana] Department of Natural Resources and Conservation EPA: Environmental Protection Agency FSR: Forest Service Road FWP: [Montana] Fish, Wildlife, and Parks GIS: Geographical Information System GMCD: Green Mountain Conservation District LCF: Lower Clark Fork LCFR-LPO: Lower Clark Fork River—Lake Pend Oreille [system] LCFTWRP: Lower Clark Fork Tributary Watershed Restoration Plan LCFWG: Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group LWD: Large Woody Debris MFISH: Montana Fisheries Information System MWCC: Montana Watershed Coordination Council MTNHP: Montana Natural Heritage Program NPS: Nonpoint Source [Pollution] NRCS: Natural Resources Conservation Service NWIS: National Water Information System NWE: NorthWestern Energy PIBO: PacFish-InFish Biological Opinion RKM: River Kilometer RM: River Mile SMZ: Streamside Management Zone STORET: STOrage and RETrieval Data Warehouse SWCDM: Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana TAC: Technical Advisory Committee TMDL: Total Maximum Daily Load USDA: United States Department of Agriculture USFS: United States Forest Service USFS-IPNF: United State Forest Service – Idaho Panhandle National Forest USFS-KNF: United States Forest Service - Kootenai National Forest USFS-LNF: United States Forest Service - Lolo National Forest USFWS: United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS: United States Geological Survey WQP: Water Quality Portal WRP: Watershed Restoration Plan WRTAC: Water Resources Technical Advisory Committee YPL: Yellowstone Pipeline 4 Section 1: Introduction and Background 1.1: Introduction The Lower Clark Fork Tributary Watershed Restoration Plan (LCFTWRP) was developed by the Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group (LCFWG) in collaboration with local watershed stakeholders to identify opportunities for, plan, and prioritize watershed restoration and enhancement efforts throughout the Lower Clark Fork (LCF) Tributary Watershed Restoration Planning Area. This document is meant to serve as an update to the original LCFTWRP completed in 2010 (Miller 2010) and will reflect current stakeholder priorities, updated expectations for WRP documents, and will summarize progress completed since the 2010 version. The LCF Watershed (Hydrologic Unit Code 17010213) is located in Western Montana on the Idaho border and flows from the confluence of the Flathead River to its terminus at Lake Pend Orielle. The LCF Tributary Watershed Restoration Planning Area is a smaller portion of the greater LCF watershed, covering all of the land that drains to the LCF River from the Thompson Falls Dam in Thompson Falls, MT to the Idaho border. A watershed restoration plan (WRP) for the neighboring Thompson River Watershed (also located in the larger LCF watershed) was recently completed by the LCFWG in 2018 (Figure 1.1A). The main objectives for the LCFTWRP are: 1. To facilitate total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation and address nonpoint source (NPS) pollution of MT Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)-listed impaired streams throughout the LCF watershed 2. To identify and prioritize opportunities for the protection and enhancement of additional streams that, while not listed as impaired by DEQ, are also a focus for local restoration efforts and multi-faceted conservation efforts 3. To establish a DEQ-accepted WRP that can be used to receive Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 319 funding, as well as to identify and to qualify for sources of funding offered at local, state, and national levels 4. To serve as a comprehensive strategic plan for restoration in the LCF watershed to promote water quality, native fish populations, and overall ecological health As of 2019, 16 streams or portions of streams within this planning area have been identified by DEQ as having one or more pollutants that negatively