Rock Creek, a tributary of the lower Clark Fork River in northwest Montana, is listed as a water quality limited waterbody by Montana DEQ (Draft 2000 303(d) list) and has received a High priority ranking by the state for development of a TMDL plan. Severe impacts have significantly degraded water quality in Rock Creek and its tributaries. Rock Creek is also a bull trout recovery area. Based on previous watershed assessments, this 319 grant will fund restoration and habitat enhancement work, public education, monitoring, coordination/administration and development of a TMDL plan for the drainage. The goal of the project is to maintain, or where needed, to restore the chemical, biological and physical integrity of the water quality of the Rock Creek by reducing non-point pollution, to stabilize stream banks, improve stream habitat and riparian vegetation in order to restore native fish populations and to specifically improve water quality in order to remove Rock Creek from the Montana impaired stream list [303(d)].
