The Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation and Patagonia World Trout Initiative have provided grants worth $25,000 to help restore habitat for Snake River cutthroat trout in Grand Teton National Park.

The funds were provided to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, the park’s primary fundraising partner, to help restore stream flow and fish passage between the Snake River and the upper reaches of one of its tributaries—Ditch Creek.

Fish habitat in the lower five miles of Ditch Creek has been fragmented for more than 50 years due to human-induced changes on the landscape, including road culverts that precluded fish passage. In addition, natural sediment transport processes cause Ditch Creek to periodically leave its main channel and occupy some of the many relic irrigation ditches built by early settlers in the Antelope Flats area. This results in a stream course that also obstructs fish passage.

Work during the last three years has made significant progress on restoring connectivity of the Snake River and upper Ditch Creek. Road culverts have been retrofitted to be fish-friendly and no longer represent movement barriers. Foundation funding will help return Ditch Creek to its historical alignment, allowing fish passage during key spawning and migratory periods, and maintain and enhance fish movement studies. Data collection will expedite assessments of restoration project success, reveal preferred spawning habitats, and facilitate the shaping of a practical, long-term management strategy for Ditch Creek.

"Jackson Hole One Fly has enjoyed working with Grand Teton National Park Foundation in its efforts to protect and restore native fish habitat within the park. The current project, to begin to restore flow in Ditch Creek to its natural course, is just one example of this great collaboration,” Dennis Butcher, JH One Fly Foundation board member, said. “GTNPF projects are both well researched and well planned, which greatly enhances the probability of success. We look forward to future work with the foundation.”

Patagonia World Trout Initiative grants program joined the Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation and Grand Teton National Park Foundation this year.

“Supporting the foundation’s efforts on the Ditch Creek project that protects native fish and restores degraded habitats is important to Patagonia’s World Trout Initiative,” said Ron Hunter, World Trout Initiative grants manager. “We were happy to supply funding to make it happen.”

“We are so pleased to have the support of both the Jackson Hole One Fly Foundation and Patagonia’s World Trout Initiative to help execute this important project in Grand Teton National Park,” said Leslie Mattson, Grand Teton National Park Foundation president. “Because of their generosity, the park will be able to restore this vital habitat, allowing our native fish populations to thrive.”