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The culvert replacement in the Bridger-Teton National Forest is expected to open about 4.5 miles of habitat for the Snake River Fine Spotted Cutthroat Trout.
It’s the latest project from Trout Unlimited, a national advocacy group with about a dozen staff working to conserve Wyoming watersheds. Jacksonite Kole Stewart works with the organization and focuses on the headwaters of the Snake that stretch from Jackson Lake to the Palisades Reservoir.
“We try to pick projects that kind of give you the most bang for your buck,” he said.
The current culvert on Cabin Creek is too narrow. It’s a common issue on hundreds of culverts on tributaries throught the region that he’s mapped with his colleagues.
“When water flows through it really fast during runoff it actually is kind of like a garden hose and it scours out a hole,” he said.
That hole prevents fish like the Fine Spotted Cutthroat Trout from swimming upstream to spawn.
The species occupies less than half of its historic range in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Habitat degradation is the primary reason the species have high conservation concern with management agencies like the Bridger-Teton, Wyoming Game and Fish and Grand Teton National Park. Stewart works with each and says “it’s a really collaborative effort.”
It’s also expensive. Stewart leverages private donations from several organizations like his, and public dollars from the Forest Service. He says they complete about 1 to 2 projects each year in the Snake River watershed.
The Greys River project is expected to be completed Nov. 7, weather permitting.
