Sixmile Creek

About

Trout Unlimited, the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, River Design Group, and FCA teamed up on this project to provide in-stream passage and install a fish screen on this previously unscreened diversion.

Prior to the fish screen installation, Forest Service Biologists from the Ninemile Ranger District and students from Frenchtown High School salvaged and relocated 544 fish from the irrigation ditch. Since the 2007 install, more than 2,300 fish have been salvaged from this ditch. Installation of this fish screen and passage structure will prevent the entrainment of fish and allow for unimpeded passage up and down Sixmile Creek.

A modular Farmers Screen system was used to screen the 2.5 CFS of irrigation water. The new screen system consists of:

New headgate
New pipe from headgate to the screen system
Two-section modular Farmers Screen system
Piped fish return utilizing a new flume design

Off loading the screen sections using a small rubber track excavator

First modular section in place and prepping for the second

Second modular section in place and bolted to the first section

With the fish return flume in place, digging starts for the placement of the conveyance pipe to the creek.

Fish return pipe spilling water back to the creek

Looking up stream at the finished modular screen

Looking down stream at the finished modular screen

Sixmile Creek is a high gradient stream with seasonally high levels or organic debris. A primary reason the project partners chose a Farmers Screen was due to the low level of maintenance required.

Trout Unlimited, the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, River Design Group, and FCA teamed up on this project to provide in-stream passage and install a fish screen on this previously unscreened diversion.

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