Ninety-mile migrations and a new road

Native westslope cutthroat and bull trout come to the Copper Creek tributary of the Blackfoot River for the cold, clean water. Copper Creek is especially attractive to spawning trout because groundwater wells up into the stream through gravel beds in many places. This groundwater permeates trout spawning nests (redds) and keeps their incubating eggs well oxygenated and free of silt. The great trout habitat in Copper Creek is probably why a westslope cutthroat wearing a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks tag swam over ninety miles to get there recently.

People also migrate to Copper Creek because...