Nevada Creek is a major tributary to the Blackfoot River at river mile 67.8. It flows through a wide valley comprised of alluvial outwash in its lower 12 miles. Historically, this reach was probably a beaver wetland complex but has now been converted to hay/grazing meadows maintained through active control of beaver. The channel is predominately an E6 channel type with some C3 near the mouth. Nevada Creek contributes a significant amount of water to the overall stream flow of the Blackfoot River during low flow periods. Stream flow of Nevada Creek in November of 1989 was 43.8 cfs at the mouth, equivalent to 39.7% of the Blackfoot River flow. Unfortunately impaired water quality in Nevada Creek including high temperatures, high nutrient loading, and high levels of sediment decrease, rather than enhance water quality in the Blackfoot River.

Nevada Creek has been identified as a major source of non-point pollution to the Blackfoot River. Water temperatures in Nevada Creek have exceeded 79.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Nevada Creek has high levels of suspended organic sediments and very low densities of trout. In 1990, the Nevada Creek Watershed Improvement Project began with the North Powell Conservation District coordinating contacts and projects on private ranch lands. The Natural Resources Conservation Service has been the lead agency in this watershed and have been doing most of the baseline data collection and some of the projects. EPA 319 Non-point Pollution Source Program has provided the bulk of the funds used to improve land-use, water quality and reservoir management.

In order to prioritize restoration resources, we developed a fisheries-based restoration priority scorecard, based on biological, social and financial considerations, for 83 impaired tributaries of the Blackfoot River. Nevada Creek is ranked 62 of 83 streams surveyed. To date most of the projects have focused on improving ranching operations to benefit water quality and water quantity. However, a few projects sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks have been completed in the watershed targeted directly at fish and wildlife species including wetland restoration, grass seeding, grazing management, culvert removals, fish passage barrier removal and riparian restoration.

Before photo of Nevada Creek with crop land adjacent to the stream and drained wetlands in the background.
After photo with cropland seeded back to grass and over 100 acres of drained wetlands restored in the background. These projects will not only benefit fish and wildlife species but water quality as well.