A Bighorn River side channel before restoration (note excessive sediment build-up and vegetation encroachment into channel)
In an earlier issue of this newsletter we noted the work of the Bighorn River Alliance to identify and restore disconnected or low-functioning side channels on the Bighorn River in Montana.
Side channel habitats are vital contributors to the health of the Bighorn River fishery, As a result of sediment deposits, encroaching vegetation, and lasting drought, however, many side channels have lost much of their connectivity with the main channel.
With funding help from the AFFTA Fisheries Fund, Montana Trout Foundation, and many other supporters, the Bighorn River Alliance evaluated 30 channels with 13 considered “top tier” and two, Juniper and Rattlesnake side channels, selected for a demonstration projects.
During the summer of 2020 the two channels were surveyed in detail and permit-ready designs are complete. In 2021 restoration work began.
In total, almost a half mile of channel was opened up by excavating over 500 yards of material. At river flows of 1,750 cfs, when these channels would have been isolated from the main river, the Alliance was pleasantly surprised to see that both side channels flowed.
These two reconnected channels are valuable in their own right, but the Bighorn River Alliance hopes to use them as demonstration projects and seek additional funding to pursue another dozen or so. That would represent a material impact of the quantity and quality of spawning and juvenile rearing habitat in the system.
AFFTA MEMBERS actively supporting the Bighorn River Alliance include Adipose Boatworks, Patagonia, Simms, and Yeti. Learn more about the Alliance, their project, and lend your support.
