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Restoration Activities Going Full Speed
Restoration - Clark Fork River Restoration
Written by Doug Martin   
The Milltown Dam is now gone, removed to an elevation that meets the restoration design elevations.  People are asking, when are the restoration activities going get going full speed?  Well, to be honest, the restoration has been going full speed.
The new channel through the former dam location is a restoration element, constructed to the design parameters in the restoration design plan.  The remedial action contractor, Envirocon, removed all the materials associated with the spillway, powerhouse, divider block and north abutment wall to the restoration design elevations.  
Mother Nature’s work helps shape restoration design
Now we need to wait and see what work Mother Nature completes this spring.  The area where the powerhouse once was should develop into a large point bar channel feature.  The scour hole downstream of the former spillway should fill and develop its own scour hole with the help of the new submerged boulder structure just upstream.  We are hoping the channel in this area develops naturally to meet the needs of the river in order to transport sediment and water efficiently. This development may take a couple years to be fully developed, but with the snowpack in the mountains, we are looking at another good spring flow.
Work scheduled throughout the floodplain in Summer 2009
The restoration is also gearing up for other work as well.  With all the sediments shipped to Opportunity, Envirocon will start to construct the Grading Plan within the remedial project area.  This includes the excavation of the channel alignment, wetlands, and other floodplain features.  The State has provided Envirocon with the final grading plan and implementation should start in May of 2009.  In addition, the restoration still plans on completing channel restoration activities upstream of Duck Bridge on a 2,000 foot section of the river.  This channel work is scheduled to start in July and be completed by December.  The excavation of reservoir sediments upstream of Duck Bridge will also start this year.  The floodplain design just upstream of Duck Bridge has been revised using the information that became available last summer after the high flows scoured a new floodplain in this area.  The floodplain is now lower and matches nicely with the naturally constructed floodplain.
Grant applications submitted for pier removal, land acquisition
There were also two Natural Resource Damage Program grant applications submitted this year requesting funds to implement projects near Bonner starting in 2010.  One application was for the removal of the abandoned railroad piers located on the Blackfoot River upstream of the former Stimson Mill, the removal of abandoned railroad piers located upstream on the Clark Fork River above Turah, and the potential removal of more logs from the Blackfoot River.  
Another application is requesting funds to start the development of a Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department park at the former Milltown reservoir.  There are many components of this park application including development of the area around the BFR bridges, development at the former powerhouse area including trails and a bridge to the west side, and the acquisition of former Plum Creek Lumber property near Bonner.  
Both applications will go through a year long review and evaluation process and the Governor will make a final decision of funding next December.