North Fork Smith River Stream and Riparian Restoration Draft Environmental Assessment Checklist FWP-CEA-FSH-R4-25-015

The North Fork Smith River restoration project is located on the North Fork upstream of White Sulphur Springs, Montana. The North Fork supports an important trout fishery.  The North Fork has been degraded through livestock grazing, agricultural encroachment, irrigation withdrawals, channel straightening, bank armoring, and infrastructure development.  The main water quality issues in the North Fork include elevated turbidity from streambank erosion and irrigation return flows; elevated water temperatures from decreased late season flows; removal of woody riparian vegetation and channel widening; and elevated nutrients and E. coli from livestock grazing and agriculture.

 

Restoration actions include installing off-site livestock water to reduce livestock use of the stream, creating a topographic buffer between the river and livestock corrals, replacing degraded riparian protection fence, installing windbreak fence in strategic locations to reduce livestock access to riparian areas, hardening six livestock access points, and restoring 1,500 linear feet of eroding streambanks.

 

Related Documents

North Fork Smith River Stream and Riparian Restoration Draft Environmental Assessment Checklist FWP-CEA-FSH-R4-25-015 (pdf)

 

Public Comment Opportunity

Deadline: Written or emailed comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m., April 11^th, 2025

Email comments to: ageik@mt.gov

Or mail to: Adam Geik

     4600 Giant Springs Road

     Great Falls, MT 59405