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Accomplishments

Making strides to protect the Blackfoot

The Blackfoot is a biologically rich and relatively undeveloped watershed, one of only twelve blue-ribbon trout rivers in Montana. The 132 miles of mainstream are fed by over 1,900 miles of perennial streams.

At one time badly degraded, the Blackfoot is once again a stronghold for native trout, including west-slope cutthroat trout and the endangered bull trout. This is the direct result of many years of collaboration and on-the-ground efforts by BBCTU and our partners.

One of BBCTU’s first efforts was to fund a program under which Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks surveyed tributaries of the Blackfoot River to determine limiting factors of each, helping BBCTU to prioritize and focus its project objectives. To date, Montana FWP has surveyed close to 200 tributaries and their efforts continue to provide critical baseline data forming an integral part of our program today.

Click here for background information on “The Blackfoot Experience” by Stan Bradshaw.

Here’s a summary of our accomplishments to date:

  • Over 153 miles of instream habitat restored benefiting 71 streams
  • Over 120 miles of riparian habitats restored along the banks of 64 streams
  • 3,000 acres of wetlands restored
  • 70,000 acres under grazing management systems
  • Over 700 miles of fish passage barriers removed
  • 37 fish screens installed
  • Water conservation projects on 41 tributaries equating to over 49 cfs of water saved (~23,000 Gallons per minute)
  • Over 260 tributaries and 6 reaches of the Blackfoot River monitored
  • Over 250 landowners involved
  • Over 750 total projects

Click here for our most recent 20 year summary report: BBCTU Brochure 2011