Cottonwood Creek Wetland and Stream Delineations

As part of ongoing efforts to restore habitat on tributaries in the Upper Clark Fork basin, the Clark Fork Coalition proposed a project at the Baggs Creek-Cottonwood Creek confluence. The upper reaches of Cottonwood Creek and Baggs Creek provide habitat for genetically pure westslope cutthroat trout, primarily in the upper reaches of the drainages. Brook trout and brown trout are present throughout the upper and lower reaches of Cottonwood Creek.

The project has five components: 1) installation of a new fish passage-friendly rock weir diversion on Cottonwood Creek; 2) abandonment of a diversion on Baggs Creek to reduce fish entrainment; 3) installation of a fish screen on the Cottonwood Creek canal; 4) construction of a new canal alignment to facilitate the fish screen and Baggs Creek passage below the canal; 5) lowering the Baggs Creek channel to allow the Cottonwood canal to pass over it, and providing a series of rock weirs to promote fish passage upstream on Baggs Creek, which currently is impassable due to a 19 percent maximum grade at its confluence with Cottonwood Creek.

Herrera delineated wetlands and streams and prepared and wetland and stream delineation report in support of this project.