TU is working with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Upper Clark Fork Watershed Restoration Coalition to identify fish passage barriers and fish entrainment problems in irrigation infrastructure in the Upper Clark Fork River. The effort is focusing on priority tributaries upstream of Deerlodge, in what is consider "Reach A" of the river. TU is focusing on Priority 1 streams, as identified in the Prioritization of Tributaries in the Upper Clark Fork Basin for Fishery Enhancement produced by MT Fish Wildlife and Parks and the Natural Resource Damage Program.
TU will locate irrigation diversions in the upper river and assess them for ease of fish passage, functionality and potential effects of irrigation on instream flows and habitat. TU's methodology is based upon similar efforts completed by TU throughout the country, which have led to successful fish passage enhancement programs.
View the results of the pilot program completed in 2010. [1]
Links:
[1] http://www.tu.org/sites/www.tu.org/files/documents/Upper_Clark_Fork_Irrigation_Inventory_2010.pdf