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| Wade Lake Spawning Channel |
Madison County, Montana |
Primary Project Type: Instream Restoration
Secondary Type: |
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Wade Lake, Montana - Photo courtesy of Matt Klara.... |
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Primary Problem: Loss of Fish Habitat
Secondary Problem: |
| Main Restoration Action(s): Habitat enhancement, Riparian revegetation |
| Native Fish Focus: N/A |
Is this project part of a watershed scale restoration? No
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| Project Dates: 1989 to 1991 |
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Initial Monitoring: 1984 to 1991
Restoration Implementation: October 1991
Follow-up Monitoring: 1991 to 2001 |
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Lead Agency:
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
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| Project Location:
Wade Lake is a 240 acre, glacially formed lake located in the Upper Madison River drainage of southern Madison County. Access to the lake from US HWY 287 is gained by driving south on County Road 241 (across the famed Three Dollar Bridge) and then west to the lake on Forest Route 572. Access from MT HWY 87 is gained by driving northwest on County Road 241 and then west to the lake on Forest Route 572. The spawning channel project site is located at the southernmost tip of the lake.
Click here for a map of the project area.
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| Project Description:
Since the 1930s, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) has stocked Wade Lake to maintain it as a popular angling destination for fisherman. Because no streams flow into or out of Wade Lake, stocked brown and rainbow trout had little or no access to spawning habitat for natural reproduction. In fact, only 40 square feet of spawning gravel - located where a large spring emptied into the lake - were available to the fish (see photo below). Records show that MFWP spent $6,000 to $10,000 per year to maintain the Wade Lake fishery. In the late 1980s, Wade Fredenberg (MFWP) and Bruce May (USFS) conceived an idea that could potentially eliminate the need for stocking Wade Lake. In 1989, the Forest Service and Montana FWP subcontracted Inter-Fluve Inc. to determine the feasibility of creating an artificial spawning channel using water from the natural spring at the south end of the lake. Inter-Fluve determined that effective spawning habitat could be created by routing a portion of the spring’s flow through a manmade channel lined with suitable gravel. |
| Project Goals: The goal of the project was to eliminate stocking of the lake by establishing a naturally reproducing population of rainbow trout. Attaining this goal would allow MFWP to reallocate considerable funds (normally used to stock Wade Lake) to other projects. |
Project Methods:
Employing the services of a local heavy equipment contractor, Inter-Fluve constructed a 600 foot spawning channel at the south end of Wade Lake.
Because adjacent topography was hilly and steep, a portion of the lake had to be filled to create a small meadow through which the channel could flow (see photos at bottom of page). Over 16,000 cubic yards of material were excavated from a nearby hillside and placed in the lake where water depths previously exceeded 12 feet. Organic fabric made from coconut fibers was used to control erosion from newly exposed slopes until revegetation occurred. A fabric sediment curtain suspended in the lake during construction prevented any turbid water and suspended sediment from passing beyond the construction site and into the lake (see photo below).
A portion of the natural spring's flow was then diverted and used as the water source for the spawning channel. A boulder diversion and a concrete headgate, lined with an impervious membrane, were placed at the mouth of the spring. Sixty feet of pipe were installed to convey the water to the new spawning channel. Although working conditions were complicated by the presence of saturated soils, the headgate and diversion structures were successfully installed inconspicuously. The headgate allows for manipulation of the flow into the spawning channel and can be shut off completely if maintenance is required. Because Wade Lake experiences natural fluctuations in water levels, a fish ladder was constructed at the entrance of the channel to ensure fish passage into the channel during spawning. Although project supervisors were reluctant to include an artificial structure, it was necessary for the success of the project.
The spawning channel was excavated in a meandering pattern to allow for maximum channel length in the available space. The channel cross-section and gradient were adjusted to provide proper hydraulic conditions for spawning. An eighteen inch layer of spawning substrate was placed in the riffles and was composed of round, screened, unwashed, non-crushed gravel and cobble ranging in size from 0.5 to 3.0 inches in diameter. Five pools were excavated at channel meanders to provide rest and escape cover for adult fish. Cobble and larger rock were placed at the heads and tails of pools to provide habitat for juvenile trout. The newly constructed stream banks were planted with willows and allowed to revegetate with indigenous grasses and wildflowers.
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During construction: prior to bank revegetation. Over 16,000 cubic yards of mat... |
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During construction: sediment curtains in action. The fabric sediment curtain w... |
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Monitoring Data and Collection
Methods: Prior to construction of the spawning channel, little or no natural reproduction of rainbow and brown trout occurred in Wade Lake. Only a handful of rainbow and brown trout successfully spawned each year at the mouth of the spring at the south end of the lake. Aggressive stocking of the lake (MFWP Fisheries Information Services - 2001) was required to maintain the popular trophy trout fishery.
Gill net sampling, night electrofishing, and angler creel surveys were conducted periodically from 1984 to 1989. Analysis of rainbow trout size distributions, scale analysis, and visual observation showed that the vast majority of rainbow trout in the lake were of hatchery origin and that very little natural recruitment had occurred. As a result, MFWP concluded that suitable spawning habitat may be a limiting factor for wild rainbow trout as well as brown trout in Wade Lake (MFWP Unpublished Files).
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| Was this project effective
and how was this determined? This project was successful in that it achieved its main goal: resident rainbow and brown trout have utilized the constructed channel for spawning since the project was completed. Stocking activity ceased following the construction of the spawning channel in 1991. Since then, visual observation, angler survey results, and analysis of gill net survey results show that trout actively use the created channel for spawning, and that Wade Lake now supports healthy, fishable populations of trophy-sized, wild rainbow and brown trout.
Click here for more project information.
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(Before) Wade Lake before restoration.... |
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(After) Wade Lake after construction of the 600-foot-long spawning channel at th... |
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| Confounding Effects/Additional
Information: To read an article on the Wade Lake project, originally published in Montana Outdoors (from the July/August 1992 issue), click here (1.3 Mb PDF file). |
| Project
Specs (all specs are estimates): |
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Overall Estimated Cost:
$115,000
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| For more information on this project
contact: |
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Wade Fredenberg, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (formerly of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks), Email:
Patrick Byorth, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (Bozeman), Email: pbyorth@montana.edu
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| This information
was collected by: Matthew Klara and Cal Fraser |
| Project last updated on: 4/6/2007 |
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