A fish habitat enhancement project is underway in the South Fork Coal Creek drainage, a tributary to the North Fork Flathead River that was degraded by historical land management practices, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
More than two dozen large woody structures are being incorporated into the stream channel to create spawning and rearing habitat for bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout.
Logs were harvested from the nearby Sun Dog Fire (2006) using sawyers, a helicopter and spyder backhoe to minimize impacts on the landscape. Pre and post-project monitoring will allow biologists to evaluate project success.
The project is funded through the Bonneville Power Administration fisheries mitigation program.