Restoration projects continue on Vermilion

At the Thompson Falls library last week Sarah Busmire, administrator of the Green Mountain Conservation District (GMCD), did a presentation on the collaborative stream and floodplain work completed on the Vermilion River. Busmire’s group is part of the Lower Clark Fork Watershed Group (LCFWG). “LCFWG is both a nonprofit organization, as well as a collection of organizations and agencies collaborating to improve watershed health in the lower Clark Fork drainage,” said Brita Olson, the coordinator. Some of the agencies collaborating on the Vermilion projects include Avista, GMCD, Kootenai National Forest, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“We are the only group in the Lower Clark Fork who does this sort of work,” shared Busmire, who said that their area starts at the confluence of the Flathead and Clark Fork rivers and goes to Lake Pend Oreille.

The LCFWG published an article in October of 2021 that stated, “The Vermilion River provides habitat for a variety of fish and other aquatic and terrestrial species.They include bull trout and Westslope cutthroat trout.”

In 2007 The Kootenai National Forest and the Cabinet Ranger District completed a watershed assessment and preliminary restoration plan for the Vermilion River.

In the presentation, Busmire described how the Vermilion is an impaired river because of historical placer mining and the removal of vegetation. The excessive amounts of sediments and erosion have caused the impairment, Busmire explained. One of the slides in her presentation outlined the indicators for watershed health. They are well-vegetated landscapes, habitat for native species, normal waterflow, functioning streams, good water quality and robust communities of aquatic organisms.

The restoration involves reconnecting the river to the floodplain to aid in the overall health of the stream. In the presentation Busmire explained that they started upstream at the worst spot, Chapel Slide in 2012, Miners Gulch in 2017 and worked their way downstream to Sims Meander in 2021.

Busmire said they did active restoration which included the use of heavy machinery in some areas to remove piles of rocks and sediment and added large amounts of woody debris. They also planted trees and shrubs in which they watered and fenced to keep safe from deer. ”Most of the area we restored was a long way from the road, so a lot of the work was accessed by foot and done by hand,” Busmire shared.

Ten years after the restoration of the Chapel Slide section, the before and after photos show a tremendous difference indicating habitat for native species and good water quality. The before photos show mounds of course pebble covered in knapweed hindering the waterflow to reach the floodplains. The after photos show fine sediment covered with native plants, shade and deep pools created by trees and woody debris. “The decay from the wood feeds the insects that feed the fish nutrients needed,” explained Busmire.

Olson describes the decline of bull trout as a complex issue that also involves two dams that hinder connectivity and competition of invasive species.

Olson said that a great source of information about river restoration is from the film ”Pulse” by Josh Boyd. “These projects take effort from many organizations and individuals to pull off. For example, the Kootenai National Forest staff design and oversee project implementation. My job is to fill in the cracks,'' said Olson.

Planned future projects include the Grouse section, to be completed in 2024, the Rocker in 2025 and the 100 Ton project to be completed in 2026.