MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS
Montana
Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Custer Gallatin National Forest are initiating
a project to restore native westslope cutthroat trout to 17 miles of upper
North Fork Spanish Creek.
Crews will
begin by removing non-native fish species in Big Brother and Chiquita lakes
north of Big Sky. The lakes will be treated with rotenone on Monday, July 29.
Rotenone is a natural chemical used to remove fish. The two lakes will be
closed to the public during the treatment. This closure is expected to last
about 24 hours.
As stream
flows subside, FWP will treat North Fork Spanish Creek and tributaries upstream
of the fish barrier recently constructed on the lower end of the creek. Fish
removals are expected to take at least two years to complete prior to
re-establishing native fish.
An
environmental assessment, which included collaborative planning with the U.S.
Forest Service as well as opportunity for public comment, was completed for
this project in 2017.
For more
information, please call FWP’s Region 3 headquarters at (406) 994-4042.
