Location:

The Ninemile watershed encompasses an area of approximately 186 square miles (119,040 acres) and is located about 25 miles west of Missoula. The watershed originates high in the Ninemile and Reservation Divides of the Lolo National Forest, with the lower section of the watershed ending at the confluence of Ninemile Creek and the Clark Fork River.

Background:

• Ninemile Creek Fisheries: Native fisheries habitat (Westslope Cutthroat Trout resident habitat & Bull Trout incidental / historic habitat)
• Impacts: The Ninemile watershed has a long history of mining, dating back to the 1800's. Mostly as a result of this early use, the watershed has major issues of high sedimentation, metals, degraded habitat, and flow alteration.
• Status: The lower 3 miles is listed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as a periodically dewatered stream. Restoration work by Lolo National Forest and Trout Unlimited is reclaiming and restoring historic abandoned mines and the associated tributaries in the headwater areas of the watershed.

Our Work:

Total Flows Protected by the Coalition:

• 12.57 cubic feet per second of water in Ninemile Creek during the low flow season of July to September.
• 3.25 cubic feet per second of water in important tributaries that provide cold, clean water to Ninemile Creek.

Current Coalition Water Right Lease Agreements in the Ninemile Creek Watershed

Project Details:

(corresponding to numbered map locations)

1 - Little Beaver Creek Ranch:

Duration:  5 Years  (2007 - 2012)

Flow Rate Protected:  2.58 Cubic Feet per Second

Location: 3 miles upstream from confluence with the Clark Fork River

Value:  This particular reach of Ninemile Creek is recognized as "periodically dewatered" by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and is very important to the entire watershed for fisheries connectivity and migration.

2 - Fire Creek Ranch:

Duration:  5 Years  (2006 - 2011)

Flow Rate Protected:  1.75 Cubic Feet per Second

Location:  9 miles upstream from confluence with the Clark Fork River

Value:  This cold water tributary is great Westslope Cutthroat Trout habitat and provides a cold, clean water source to Ninemile Creek. Since 2006,  our split-season diversion reduction agreement provided Fire Creek with almost four times the amount of water that flowed in the creek in August of 2005.

3 - High Mountain Meadow Ranch:

Duration:  10 Years  (2008 - 2018)

Flow Rate Protected:  9.93 Cubic Feet per Second

Location: 6 miles upstream from confluence with the Clark Fork River

Value:  This water was attained though a combination of improving irrigation efficiency (by converting from flood to sprinkler irrigation and decommissioning ditches) and by discontinuing irrigation on a portion of the ranch's acreage. This water lease is imperative to maintain flows in the upper portion of the watershed, as flows drop to 8 cubic feet per second in August.