Summary Description: Hire watershed coordinator. Facilitate the consolidation and coordination of watershed activities within the Kootenai River drainage. Implement studies and restoration activities.

Background: The Kootenai Drainage has experienced severe declines in the range and number of native bull, westslope cutthroat, and inland redband trout. Endangered species (ESA) protection is afforded white sturgeon and bull trout in the drainage and the USFWS have been petitioned to list the inland redband and westslope cutthroat trout. Burbot below Libby Dam are likely to be petitioned in the near future. All major listed and potentially listed ESA fish species in the drainage exist in populations that are both international and interstate in nature. Long term recovery and persistence of these stocks will rely heavily on watershed planning that includes multispecies considerations and metapopulation approaches. Such approaches require effective sub-basin, interstate and international cooperation and coordination. Recovery programs are most successful and cost-effectively implemented when they are actively designed to accommodate local input and concerns.

Milestones: Grants enabling the Montana Fish, wildlife & Parks to hire a coordinator to facilitate the consolidation and coordination of watershed activities with the Kootenai River drainage. Accomplishments: 1998 Formed or revitalized 5 citizen-based watershed planning organizations for five key sub-drainages in the basin completing one implementable watershed plan for Grave Creek and made important progress on four other plans. Secured FEMA funding ($400,000) for an effort by County, City, homeowners, USFS, NRCS, MFWP, USFWS, Montana DOT, local schools and several private organizations, to reconstruct a major portion of Parmenter Creek to a stable form. Coordinated a FEMA remapping of Libby, Big Cherry, Granite, Parmenter, Flower Creeks with the Libby Area Conservancy District, North Cabinet Conservancy District USACOE and USFS. Coordinated a Rosgen level III and IV geomorphic survey of Libby Creek and collection of cross sectional data needed to run HEC II modeling necessary to develop a channel design which will return much of Libby Creek to its proper functioning condition. Coordinated the development and design of implementable plans to screen bull trout from the Glen Lake Irrigation Ditch on Grave Creek, the most important bull trout spawning trib. in the U.S. portion of the Upper Kootenai. Instituted and coordinated an international effort with BC Environment to monitor bull trout populations in the Wigwam River /Lake Koocanusa complex. Directed a morphological survey of the unstable lowest three miles of Grave Creek necessary to design a naturally functioning channel. The survey and design will give the local watershed group a critical tool to garner funding to implement the design. Participated in intial planning for the rehabilitation of the tributaries to the Pleasant Valley Fisher River on the Lost Trail and Monk properties by the USFWS and NRSC. Directed surveys of upper Bobtail Creek necessary to design stream reconstruction to reduce bank erosion and improve habitat in cooperation with the Bobtail Creek Watershed group. Participated in developing a basin wide water quality monitoring strategy and "metadatabase" development as part of the Kootenai River Network (a private, non-profit forum supported by FWC includes state, provincial and private interests from basin). Negotiated a 1.25 mile riparian corridor and channel reconstruction of Therriault Creek where the creek is currently deeply incised, and unstable (part of Tobacco River Drainage which also includes the important Grave and Sinclair Creeks) . Negotiated for the fencing and riparian planting of several miles of overgrazed westslope cutthroat trout habitat on Young Creek (important recovery tributary to reservoir) and won approval to reconstruct a one mile segment of channelized stream. Initiated the halt of tributary stocking of fingerling westslope cutthroat trout into Young Creek and replaced this with remote site incubator (RSI) seeding of the creek.

Results: None identified.

Publications:

Publication Title	Report Type	Coverage Years	Published	Pages	DOE/BP Number
Kootenai River Focus Watershed Coordination	Annual	2002 - 2003	Oct 2003		00009996-2 R 235
Kootenai River Focus Watershed Coordination	Annual	2001 - 2002	Jul 2002		00009996-1 R 193

Project Classification Keys:
Primary: All projects in the Resident Fish Program
Secondary: Fish habitat/ passage projects & watershed efforts
Tertiary: Plan development and coordination

Work Sites

Site/Subsite Names	Site Type	Types of Work Performed
HELENA/MDFWP	Office (business, hdqtrs, university)	Management / administration
KOOTENAI RIVER BASIN [MT]/	Basin (i.e. whole watersheds)	Management / administration

Project Budget and Obligation:

Fiscal Year	Initially Authorized	Latest Authorized	Authorized Change	Obligation In Process	Bonneville Overhead	Contracted Obligation	Contracted Agent
1996	$0	$49,616	$49,616	$0	$0	$49,616	MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE - HELENA
1998	$100,000	$96,661	$-3,339	$0	$0	$96,661	MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE - HELENA
Totals:	$100,000	$146,277	$46,277	$0	$0	$146,277	.