After nine years of collaborative efforts, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and its partners have successfully restored native fish populations to French Creek, a tributary of North Fork Fish Creek in the upper Missouri River drainage.

The restoration project began in response to impacts from placer mining and other historical uses, which had degraded habitat and water quality in the creek, and displaced native fish with non-native trout.

In 2019, FWP constructed a fish migration barrier at the lower end of French Creek to prevent non-native fish from swimming upstream. FWP then removed the non-native fish with rotenone, a natural chemical used in fish removal efforts.

This year, FWP stocked westslope cutthroat trout and Arctic grayling into French Creek. Stocking efforts will continue for the next two years while the fish become self-sustaining.

“It’s wide open for public use,” said Jim Olsen, FWP’s fisheries biologist in the Big Hole area. “We hope people will come and fish here. It’s going to be a great fishery.”

Numerous organizations have contributed to watershed restoration efforts in French Creek, including the Anaconda Sportsmen’s Club, Big Hole Watershed Committee, Bureau of Land Management, George Grant Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Montana Trout Foundation, Montana Trout Unlimited, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, NorthWestern Energy, Trout and Salmon Foundation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Western Native Trout Initiative.

“We’re so grateful to our partners for their tireless efforts in helping this project come to fruition,” Olsen said.

The restoration of French Creek is a significant success story for native fish conservation in Montana. It is one of the few remaining rivers in the state that supports both westslope cutthroat trout and Arctic grayling.

The successful restoration of French Creek is a testament to the importance of collaborative partnerships in conservation. FWP and its partners have worked together to restore habitat, remove non-native fish, and stock native fish. This project will provide anglers with a new opportunity to fish for native fish in Montana, and it will also help to conserve these important species for future generations.

©️ Rocky Mountain Dispatch 2023