Oral Presentation Freshwater Sciences 2023

   Bank on it: The effects of streambank treatments on fish habitat in the restored sections of the Upper Clark Fork River, of Southwestern Montana, USA (#367)

Morgan Schultz 1 2 , Alex Leone 2 3 , Robert Pal 2 , Joe Griffin 2
  1. NSF EMERGE Program, The Society for Fresh Water Sciences, Athens, Georgia, United States
  2. Biological Sciences, Montana Technological University, Butte, Montana, United States
  3. Clark Fork Coalition, Missoula, Montana, United States

Mine waste pollutes rivers across the globe and require various restoration techniques to address the different pollutants along with their distribution. The Upper Clark Fork River in Southwestern Montana, USA is currently receiving large scale restoration following a series of flooding events at the turn of the 20th century; however, the public is meeting this necessary action with criticism. Bare patches of floodplain and streambanks are seen as the reasoning for record low fish numbers in the Upper Clark Fork River, however, there is a plethora of stressors to the fisheries which influence their numbers. This research seeks to evaluate streambank habitat along with the efficacy of the different streambank treatment types. Streambank treatments are bioengineering solutions that stabilize streambanks from initial erosion while also encouraging the establishment of streambank habitat. A fish habitat index was created for this research that incorporates qualitative and quantitative data on essential fish habitat components such as undercut banks, overhanging cover, and dominant cover types. Results suggest that habitat provisions vary based upon the design criteria of the implemented streambank treatments. Certain treatments have expansive overhanging coverage, deep undercuts, desirable undercut and cover types. Other treatments often lack in differing areas of desirable habitat conditions. This research implies that the adaptive restoration management plans have room for improvement on the remaining 44 river miles of cleanup on the Upper Clark Fork River.