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Activities Kick-off Implementation of the State's Restoration Plan PDF  | Print |  E-mail
Restoration - Clark Fork River Restoration
Written by Doug Martin   
During 2008 the State of Montana's Milltown Restoration program participated in a number of restoration activities kicking-off the implementation of the State's restoration plan. With the EPA, DEQ, and Envirocon actively working on completing the Milltown remediation part of the Milltown Dam removal, the State is just getting started on the restoration side of the Milltown Dam removal remediation and restoration. 2008 marked the start of "on the ground work" for the State's restoration activities including; weed control, riparian planting and seeding, purchase of rocks and logs, aerial surveying, removal of Blackfoot River logs and timber cribs. In addition, the State continues to monitor the site activities in order to integrate the restoration with remediation.
Weeds, Unwelcome Invaders
Weed control is an important component of the restoration action and an important factor that will help achieve the restoration goals. During the summer months of 2008 weed experts recommended that some type of manipulation be implemented to help improve the effectiveness of herbicide application on tansy plants that dominant the site. In August the State's contractors, from Hamilton, mowed about 70 acres of land that is dominated by tansy. Tansy is the tall plant with a large yellow seed head. The summer mowing not only reduced the biomass it also as the mowed tansy plants started grow again the weed spraying contractor was able to apply the herbicide "Escort" directly to young tansy plants. Weed control will continue in the coming years, but it is our hope that this years efforts will help us get an upper hand on the area weeds.
Planting of Natural Vegetation Begins
Vegetation of the floodplain is a very important and often overlooked aspect of stream restoration. At Milltown two projects were untaken this year to start the floodplain vegetation process. An upstream area was planted with four types of willows and water birch totaling 500 woody plants. These planting will help stabilize the floodplain upstream of were active floodplain and channel restoration will occur in 2009. Two areas were also seeded this year. One area involved the seeding of stockpiled soils to reduce erosion and limit the establishment of weeds. The second seeding project included the area where weed control was implemented along the former Clark Fork River channel.
Rocks Delivered for Upstream Restoration
Angular rocks from timber cribs in Blackfoot River Nov. 2008
Inappropriately situated in the Blackfoot River, these angular rocks once filled the timber cribs which anchored logs from the river drives. The cribs have been removed. The rocks will be relocated to the Clark Fork River where they will be incorporated into river channel restoration structures.
As some people might have notice a lot of rocks were delivered to the eastern end of the restoration project area, west of the Erickson's horse pasture. This rock was purchased by the State for channel restoration work to be implemented at the upstream portion of the restoration project area. Three types of rock were delivered; small and large rip rap rock to stabilize vulnerable streambank areas, rounded alluvium for constructing a stable streambank toe, and boulders for use in grade control structures. Some of this work was planned to occur this fall, but due to the 2008 spring runoff and the erosion that took place we re-evaluated this area and are making plans to complete this channel reconstruction in the summer of 2009.