Two long-term monitoring sites have been established on the mainstem of the Blackfoot River. They include the Johnsrud Section, located at the mouth of Gold Creek; and the Scotty Brown Bridge Section, located in the middle reach of the Blackfoot Watershed. The map below shows the location of the Blackfoot River, the tributary streams and the two long-term monitoring reaches.

We have completed habitat restoration work on 37 tributary streams, with most of the projects located in the middle reaches of the watershed. The graphs below show estimated populations of bull and westslope cutthroat trout with in a ten-year period in the Scotty Brown Bridge location.

The overall upward trend in native fish is the result of both fishing regulations and habitat restoration in tributaries. The annual fluctuation is believed to be caused by unique environmental events such as droughts and ice flows that have influenced both fish habitat and fish populations. The Scotty Brown Bridge section of the Blackfoot River, which just ten years ago was dominated by non-native species, is now supporting a growing native trout fishery.