Sevenmile

Montana Freshwater Partners worked together with the Prickly Pear Land Trust to restore and bring life back to over a mile of the creek. We accomplished this through a variety of restoration treatments: tall banks were excavated before installing soft bank stabilization, perched floodplain terraces were lowered by excavation, and bermed-up upland soils were removed to re-establish wetland areas and low-lying floodplain areas along the creek.  We also installed hundreds of native woody plants and seeded a variety of native wetland grasses and sedges to restore a healthy and diverse riparian habitat.  Weeds were controlled each year, often multiple times each year, to bring the total weed cover down to less than 3%.

By correcting the stream impairments, we reduced the amount of sediment in the stream. Clear water is essential for the health of fish and macroinvertebrates. The floodplains we re-established now function as natural sponges, absorbing and retaining excess water to mitigate the effects of both droughts and floods. By restoring riparian wetlands, planting native vegetation, and managing invasive weeds, critical habitat has been provided to a wide array of plants and animals.

This project is part of the Prickly Pear Land Trust’s Peaks to Creeks Initiative, which seeks to bring urban areas access to public lands.