Friend of the Teton River – Teton River Headwaters Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Habitat Restoration

This project will restore valuable Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (YCT) spawning and rearing habitat, water quality, and function in a headwaters section of the Teton River and Hatchery Creek (a small spring creek) which have been heavily impacted by cattle.  Historic overgrazing of this property caused the loss of riparian vegetation resulting in the instability and widening of the stream channels, loss of quality fish habitat ant water quality impairments.  The over-widened channels are unable to transport sediment loads and are currently silted in many locations, limiting YCT access to spawning gravels.  FTR is partnering with the landowner to design and implement restoration treatments along 3,070 linear feet of stream banks and channel on the Teton River and 1,830 linear feet of Hatchery Creek, using bioengineering techniques.  Livestock grazing will be managed and cattle will be kept off restored areas by installing 1,870 feet of exclusion fencing and an off-site gravity-fed stock water supply system.