This project involved restoration of 11,000 feet of stream channel and wetlands on Camp Creek near Sula, Montana. The project was constructed by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) as mitigation for impacts associated with the reconstruction of Highway 93 in Sula Canyon. WGM Group teamed up with Land and Water Consulting, Inc. of Missoula to prepare a design for the project.
During the original construction of Highway 93 in the 1950’s, Camp Creek was straightened and channelized as what amounted to a roadside ditch. Pollution and sediment from the highway, combined with the loss of a true riparian floodway, greatly reduced the creek’s ability to function as quality habitat for fish. The restoration project moved the creek into a historic channel away from the highway. A wide floodplain was constructed to allow storm flows to dissipate without causing excess erosion or sedimentation.
The project resulted in improved habitat for bull trout and other fish species, as well as benefits to riparian and upland habitat. New wetlands created additional flood storage and habitat diversity, and provided wetland mitigation credits for the MDT.
