Heavy equipment working on the Dunham Creek Road removing woody debris from the inlet of a culvert to reestablish water flow. The machinery is depositing the debris on the outlet side to keep the wood in the stream system. Wood is important for stream grade control and building pools for complex fish habitat and overall stream stability.
SEELEY LAKE - Quick work by Forest Service personnel and contractors from Bull Creek Forestry cleared the Dunham Creek Road from recent debris flows caused by a surge of precipitation the last week in July. The road, although bumpy in some areas, is now passable. The Dunham Creek Road passes through the 2017 Rice Ridge burned area and is a popular access route to the Lodgepole Creek Trailhead and Bob Marshall Wilderness.
Friday, July 26, after a microburst of precipitation, the road was impacted in three places by debris flows of mud, rock and trees that trapped members of the public at the Lodgepole Creek Trailhead. Debris flows and mud marks were up to 15 feet in some slide locations. No one was hurt and the trapped party notified the District of the situation via satellite phone.
The District mobilized a crew promptly and the road was cleared within a day to get the trapped people out. Contractors continued to work on the road through late last week and into the week of July 29 to remove debris, unplug and install a culvert to allow for water movement, along with additional cleanup of the road.
"We would like to commend the folks who called in via satellite phone and remained calm and patient as we worked quickly to address the issue," said Quinn Carver, Seeley Lake District Ranger. "This is a good reminder to all who travel in the backcountry, especially through burned areas, to know before you go, have extra food, water, shelter and a means of communication for unpredictable situations."
This was a natural debris flow event following the 2017 Rice Ridge Fire. Burned areas with moderate-high severity burned soils are susceptible to debris movement and saturation due to dead trees, lack of vegetation and unstable slopes.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 2 released a statement that confirmed the muddy water flowing in the Blackfoot River was caused by two landslides and a debris flow at the headwaters of Dunham Creek.
"Landslides and heavy debris can have localized impacts on fish, but right now the fish are looking good," read the press release dated July 30. "Expect the river to be off-color a few more days, especially just downstream from Monture Creek. And, given the amount of sediment remaining in the drainage, the river will likely be a bit more off-color following a rain this summer and fall."
For current trails and roads conditions please contact the Seeley Lake Ranger Station at 406-677-2233.
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