Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is building on previous planning efforts to create an updated, comprehensive roadmap for managing recreational use in the Fish Creek Watershed. The Fish Creek area is home to important fish and wildlife habit, historic and cultural resources, local communities and private landowners, and unique opportunities for outdoor recreation.
“This will all be part of what the planning process and final planning document considers,” said FWP Region 2 Supervisor Randy Arnold.
Located approximately 40 miles west of Missoula and 25 miles east of Superior, FWP’s key Fish Creek sites include Fish Creek State Park, Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Big Pine Fishing Access Site (FAS), and Forks FAS. The Alberton Gorge, which offers opportunities for water access and recreation, is also located in the area. The area also includes other state and federal public lands.
According to Arnold, because the Fish Creek project involves planning for the entire watershed, it will take a comprehensive look at the area, including its places and fish, wildlife, recreation, historic and cultural resources. Planning will cross boundaries and site types and consider the area’s fishing access sites, the Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area, Fish Creek State Park and other surrounding public lands.
“We will be looking to anyone that has an interest in the area to help provide ideas and feedback on concepts as the plan starts to take shape in early 2023,” said Arnold. “For now, the public survey (open through Dec. 20, 2022) is the best way to provide your feedback early in the process.”
Montana Trout Unlimited has concerns that some of the ideas being proposed in the process could actually degrade the recreational experience and endanger habitat in this essential native and wild trout spawning tributary. According to Montana TU staff, some of the proposed recreational improvements such as expansion of trails, continued dispersed camping and more floating access, which will likely translate into less large woody debris and logjams in the water for fish and wildlife, would be especially deleterious for bull trout in the drainage.
“It is essential that this area is managed to preserve its excellent habitat values and resilience to climate change for native species,” said Bitterroot Trout Unlimited President Dave Ward.
Montana TU is encouraging the public to comment in favor of a floating closure on Fish Creek as part of the plan.
“Large woody debris is common in this watershed and essential to native trout populations. We are concerned angler use during a relatively short floating season will result in the removal of logs to maintain navigability, thus harming the fishery and are asking people to support wade-only fishing access on the creek,” said Ward.
They are also asking people to support the idea of confining camping in the area to developed campsites only. “We believe camping in the drainage should be confined to developed camping areas with proper vault toilet facilities, to lessen impacts throughout the drainage to maintain clean, cold, complex, and connected water and habitat for both fish and wildlife,” he said.
The survey is being administered by the Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy at the University of Montana on behalf of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). All responses will remain anonymous. To complete the survey, visit FWP’s Fish Creek Watershed Recreation Planning page for more information or use this direct link: https://umt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1UgcCLvDinQw5fw
Kurt says
Leave it open to floating. Nobody floats it, as it has lots of woody debris. It seems like an unnecessary new rule because of the existence of woody debris (which is a renewable resource).