Contract History:  

The Lolo Creek Watershed Restoration project (1996-077-02) has been an on-going project of the Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries Watershed Program and BPA since 1996.  The ultimate goal of the project is to restore the physical and biological characteristics of the watershed to provide quality habitat for anadromous and resident fish species that support the historical, cultural, and economic practices of the Nez Perce Tribe.  The Lolo Creek watershed contains proposed critical habitat for listed species Steelhead trout, potential critical habitat for Bull Trout, and has moderate habitat potential for Spring Chinook Salmon.  Restoration in this watershed focuses on restoring riparian processes by addressing increased water temperatures, increased sedimentation, cattle grazing affects, fish passage barriers, and noxious weed infestations.  Fish passage and habitat connectivity actions are prioritized primarily at road/stream crossings on both private and federal land, and native riparian revegetation and continuous riparian protection are also high priority actions.  Completed contract work includes culvert prioritization and assessment, installation of an off-site water source, 28 culvert replacements, 11 culvert removals, 1600 ft. of stream bank stabilization, 101 miles of road decommissioning, 16 miles of fence installation, over 22,000 native riparian trees and shrubs planted, and continued monitoring and evaluation.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
Summary of FY 2012 and FY 2013 contract work:

This project is part of the Nez Perce Tribe, BPA, and Clearwater National Forest Watershed Restoration Partnership with in kind contributions from the Clearwater National Forest.  Potlatch Corporation is also a partner on portions of this project.

A)  Deer Gulch Meadow Restoration
The project will re-establish natural meadow regimes and hydrologic processes, restore native plant communities, and reduce chronic sediment delivery to Deer Creek and Musselshell Creek from road stream crossings and stream bank trampling from livestock.  The stream is currently cutting into the road and road fill which is causing significant streambank erosion.  The area is within a grazing allotment and cattle are trampling the meadow and streambanks.  Cattle browsing is reducing the growth of native vegetation which also decreases bank stability. Relocating the road and restricting cattle access to the riparian area will improve bank stability and reduce erosion.

B)  Realign and Restore Musselshell Creek at Musselshell Tunnel
This project will restore access to upper Musselshell Creek by removing the stream channel from a human-made mining tunnel, located directly upstream of the tributary Greer Gulch, and returning it to its original location in order to provide passage for all aquatic species and life stages of native, BiOp priority fish populations. Fish passage was eliminated when this mining tunnel was created in the early 1930s.   A total of 15 miles of potential habitat in the upper subwatershed will be made accessible for BiOp priority anadromous and resident fish species.
  
C) Jim Brown MP 39 Culvert Replacement
The Jim Brown Creek MP 39 Culvert on Road 100 was identified as a high priority for replacement in the watershed because it is undersized and does not pass all life stages of fish. This work element will return fish passage to over 5.0 miles of stream by replacing the existing culvert that is a Spring Chinook and Steelhead migration barrier.  

D) Exotic, Invasive Species Treatment
During the 2007 field season, NPT completed a non-native, invasive plant inventory in Musselshell Meadows which was utilized to develop a treatment plan for chemical treatment in the highest priority areas of the 190 acre meadow area and surrounding areas.  The foci will include corridors of invasion, such as roads, trails, riparian zones, and disturbed areas.  Target species will include Spotted Knapweed, St. John's Wart, Hawkweed, and Common Tansy.  

E) Riparian Planting
Successful revegetation efforts have been ongoing in Jim Brown Creek, a tributary of Lolo Creek, since 2002.  However, Jim Brown Creek and its tributaries consist of over four miles of stream length, which was practically devoid of vegetation in the 1990s.  Additional plantings are warranted to provide a healthy, functioning riparian zone that provides shade to the stream, which will reduce lethal stream temperatures.  In FY 2012 and FY 2013 we will plant an estimated 3,000 native riparian trees and shrubs within the Jim Brown Creek area.  Species to be planted include Drummond Willow, Thinleaf Alder, Red Osier Dogwood, Nebraska Sedge, Beaked Sedge, Baltic Rush, and Coville's Rush.

F) Fence Maintenance
Nineteen miles of fence have been previously constructed in the Lolo Creek watershed.  The fences consist of wooden posts and a combination of rails and four-strand barbed wire to exclude livestock and protect riparian areas.  Due to heavy snow loads, annual maintenance is required to maintain a properly functioning fence that protects riparian and stream habitat.

G) Continued monitoring and evaluation
Project effectiveness monitoring:  A monitoring protocol for culvert replacements will track the status of habitat within and around the culvert, as well as the stream channel's reaction to the newly installed culvert.  Monitoring for culvert replacements includes fish surveys above and below culverts, channel grade, in-culvert substrate, and profile measurements. A report on the success of previously and newly installed culverts will be completed.  Culvert replacement monitoring has been ongoing for several years.  Per the protocol, culvert replacement monitoring in Lolo Creek is scheduled for the Musselshell Tributary, Gold, Rat, Snowshoe, Stray, Jim Brown #2, Deer Gulch, Cedar #1, Bat(ford), and Burnt creek culverts.

Project effectiveness monitoring:  The Clearwater National Forest and the Nez Perce Tribe have developed a monitoring plan for decommissioned roads.  Data is used to monitor success and for suggesting improvements that could be made.  The annual monitoring plan has established numerous monitoring sites for all roads that have been decommissioned, and establishes a timetable for subsequent monitoring.  Specifically in Lolo Creek, evaluation of approximately 101 miles of decommissioned roads will be accomplished by collecting monitoring data at numerous different sample sites as shown in the WE location.  Data collected for Road Decommissioning Monitoring and Evaluation includes the following: locate and evaluate new mass failures, record and evaluate points of surface erosion, evaluate revegetation coverage and succession to native plants, measure stream channel restoration and adjustment, and evaluate whether the treatment applied was appropriate for the land type.  Annual monitoring has been done at these sites since FY 1997.

Status and Trend Monitoring: A monitoring protocol for selected stream habitat reaches will track the status and trends of Lolo Creek.  Data will be collected for fish abundance and distribution, macroinvertebrates, flow, temperature, sediment composition, and habitat parameters to include channel morphology, valley width index, Wolman Pebble counts, cobble embeddedness, large woody debris, bank stability, noxious weeds, and riparian condition and density.  This data will be summarized in a monitoring report, showing trends of conditions as a result of watershed restoration actions.  Six stream reaches on Jim Brown Creek, Musselshell Creek, Lolo Creek, and Yoosa Creek are scheduled for monitoring in FY 2012 and in FY 2013.  Monitoring for some of the parameters at these reaches began in FY 1997, and periodic monitoring has occurred annually since 2000.