Big Hole River, Montana Watershed Restoration Plan Part II: Middle & Lower Big Hole Watershed Produced by: Big Hole Watershed Committee Final August 29, 2013 Big Hole River Watershed Restoration Plan – August 29, 2013 Part II: Middle-Lower Big Hole River Watershed Page | 1 Big Hole Watershed Committee PO Box 21 Divide, Montana 59727 e-mail: [email protected] website: bhwc.org Produced with Funds and Support from: Montana Department of Environmental Quality 319 Program Helena, Montana Big Hole River Watershed Restoration Plan – August 29, 2013 Part II: Middle-Lower Big Hole River Watershed Page | 2 Table of Contents Tables ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Figures ........................................................................................................................................................... 6 Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Project Area .................................................................................................................................................. 8 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Purpose ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 Watershed Restoration Planning ................................................................................................................ 11 The Big Hole Watershed Committee ...................................................................................................... 12 Vision ........................................................................................................................................................... 13 Watershed Characterization ....................................................................................................................... 14 Sensitive Species ..................................................................................................................................... 15 The Fluvial Arctic Grayling and the CCAA Program ............................................................................. 15 Westslope Cutthroat Trout ................................................................................................................. 16 Western Toad ...................................................................................................................................... 16 Western Pearlshell Mussel .................................................................................................................. 17 Section I: What is the Problem? Causes of Impairment in the Middle-Lower Big Hole Watershed.......... 19 Section II. Who Addresses Water Quality Issues? ...................................................................................... 25 Water Quality: Montana Department of Environmental Quality ........................................................... 25 USFS Beaverhead - Deerlodge Forest Plan ............................................................................................. 27 Bureau of Land Management ..................................................................................................................... 32 CCAA Program ......................................................................................................................................... 34 Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks ........................................................................................................... 36 Big Hole Watershed Committee ............................................................................................................. 39 Wetlands for Water Quality ................................................................................................................ 41 Section III: What Should the Watershed Look Like? ................................................................................... 46 Water Quality Goals & Priorities ................................................................................................................. 46 Blended Watershed Restoration Goals ................................................................................................... 46 Restoration Priorities and Locations ....................................................................................................... 47 Best Management Practices ....................................................................................................................... 48 Restoration Objectives and Load Reductions ......................................................................................... 50 Section IV: How Will We Get There? .......................................................................................................... 56 Big Hole River Watershed Restoration Plan – August 29, 2013 Part II: Middle-Lower Big Hole River Watershed Page | 3 Road Map to Watershed Restoration ......................................................................................................... 56 Projects Completed or On-Going: ............................................................................................................... 57 Plan & Research ...................................................................................................................................... 58 Educate ................................................................................................................................................... 60 Restore .................................................................................................................................................... 61 Preserve & Protect .................................................................................................................................. 62 Projects On-Going or Proposed .................................................................................................................. 63 Plan & Research: ..................................................................................................................................... 64 Educate: .................................................................................................................................................. 65 Restoration: ............................................................................................................................................ 67 Partners ................................................................................................................................................... 77 Partners ............................................................................................................................................... 78 Section V: How Will We Know When We Arrive? ....................................................................................... 80 Section VI: Discussion, Recommendations & Review ................................................................................. 83 Sub-Watershed Summaries ........................................................................................................................ 84 Middle-Lower Big Hole Watershed - Whole ........................................................................................... 87 Deep Creek .............................................................................................................................................. 90 Big Hole River - Fishtrap .......................................................................................................................... 92 Wise River ............................................................................................................................................... 95 Big Hole River - Divide ............................................................................................................................. 98 Divide Creek .......................................................................................................................................... 100 Big Hole River - Melrose ........................................................................................................................ 102 Lower Big Hole River ............................................................................................................................. 105 Works Cited ............................................................................................................................................... 107 Link Addresses....................................................................................................................................... 110 Big Hole River Watershed Restoration Plan – August 29, 2013 Part II: Middle-Lower Big Hole River Watershed Page | 4 Tables Table 1: Watershed Characterization ......................................................................................................... 14 Table 2: Montana animal Species of Concern located in the Middle - Lower Big Hole watershed (Montana Natural Heritage) ....................................................................................................................... 17 Table 3: Water quality impairments,