Badger Creek Among Ô10 Waters to Watch'

Badger Creek in Butte County has been named one of the national "10 Waters to Watch" by the National Fish Habitat Board, a group of the nation's leading authorities on aquatic conservation. This project will restore 6.5 miles of fish access for bull trout and other important species. Badger Creek runs into the Little Lost River. The waters featured on this list were chosen to demonstrate the collaborative conservation efforts of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, a new initiative to reverse persistent declines in the quality of our nation's aquatic habitat. "Thanks to a powerful collaboration between national, state and local partners, these 10 waters and the many others across the nation are now beginning the healing process," said Kim Goodman, Trout Unlimited's Idaho water project director. "These projects, and the many others under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, mark the beginning of an unprecedented effort to reverse the decline of aquatic habitats for fish and wildlife." The waters highlighted on the list reach from Maine to Alaska and from Idaho to Mississippi. The other "Waters to Watch" projects are:

• Moose Creek, Alaska - restore 1,500 feet of creek and improve nine miles of fish passage.
• Bear Wallow Creek, Arizona - remove fish barriers and restore 1.8 miles instream habitat.
• Upper Iowa River, Iowa - restore diverse riparian and instream habitats.
• South Bog Stream, Maine - restore 2.1 miles of instream habitat.
• Pascagoula River, Mississippi - restore six acres of tidal marsh habitat in the Bennett Bayou Marsh, affected by Hurricane Katrina and urban development.
• Upper Duck River, Tennessee - restore more than three miles of riparian habitat.
• Smith Creek, Virginia - restore the creek's headwaters and eight miles of new fish access, 3.5 miles of riparian habitat, 1.7 miles of instream habitat and 65 acres upland habitat.
• Upper Browns River, Vermont - riparian restoration, including two miles of stream frontage.
LaBarge Creek, Wyoming - remove non-native species and help protect 58 miles of instream habitat for native Colorado cutthroat trout recovery.

These 10 projects are bringing together community groups, nonprofit organizations, local watershed groups, American Indian tribes, and state and federal agencies to plant stream-side vegetation, remove structures blocking fish access to habitat and protect rivers from agricultural runoff. The goal is to provide clean water and robust, healthy habitats for the many fish and wildlife species and people who call these areas home. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan supports 40 local, grassroots-driven projects, like these listed here, as well as national efforts to identify the causes of aquatic habitat decline, identify and launch corrective actions, and measure and communicate progress. The Action Plan was released about a year ago along with the "More Fish" campaign administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Information about the campaign can be found at www.morefish.org. For information about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, visit www.fishhabitat.org. For more information about the Badger Creek project, please contact Kim Goodman at 208-552-0891.