Mount Haggin Uplands Pilot Project

The goal of the Mount Haggin Uplands Revegetation/Sediment Control Demonstration project, completed 2016, was to mitigate sediment delivery from uplands and gullies into waterways and jump-start vegetation restoration on severely eroded upland slopes of the Mount Haggin WMA. This involved the completion of two upland restoration demonstration projects (one on either side of the divide) covering 6.8 acres of bare upland slopes and 1/2 mile of incised gullies. The project tested the efficacy of organic fertilizer and an upland seed mix for vegetation establishment in these harsh environments. It also demonstrated a scale-up of earlier experiments to benefit the State of Montana’s restoration of the Anaconda upland Superfund site.

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Area History

Aerial emissions from early 20^th century smelting activities in Anaconda, together with extensive logging to fuel the smelters, have left areas in the Mt. Haggin Uplands (RDU 15) of the Anaconda National Priorities List (NPL)/Superfund site in a highly degraded state. Impacted areas lie within the state owned Mt. Haggin Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and include the watersheds of Joiner and Muddy creeks, flowing northwest into Mill Creek in the Clark Fork River basin and the headwaters of California Creek which flow south into French Creek in the Upper Big Hole River drainage. All three headwaters tributaries are near the continental divide.

Project Results

30-50% improvement in vegetation cover across 6.8 acres of highly degraded upland slopes

260 Cu. yds sediment catchment installed

BMP techniques and per unit costs established for scaling to larger projects.

People & Organizations Involved

The Natural Resource Damage Program continues to coordinate this complex restoration landscape of the Mt. Haggin Uplands with state agencies, the EPA, and a network of contractors. The Big Hole Watershed Committee is a key partner in this work, bringing multiple funding sources to the table to address upland sedimentation issues affecting the Big Hole and Clark Fork Rivers. The Committee and contractors are using data from this project to inform basin-scale restoration plans for areas impacted by smelter emissions. 

Big Hole Watershed Committee

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Natural Resources Damage Program

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (Reclamation and Development Planning Grant Program)

Montana Conservation Corps

Project Documents

Mount Haggin Restoration in Context

Project Photos

Upper Joiner Ck. Sept. 2014 before photo

Upper Joiner Ck. After installation October 2015

Upper Joiner creek_June 2015 before project

Upper Joiner Wind erosion

Helicopter delivery coming in

FWP helicopter delivered 4000 lbs of organic nitrogen fertilizer to the uplands

Installing vegetation strips over amended trenches

Montana Conservation Corps members spread fertilizer with feeling!

Grass and forb growth through coir erosion-control fabric

Coffee bag check dam stopping sediment and promoting growth

California Creek fabric strip with 3 amended trenches

Effects of fertilizer trickle down

California Creek vegetation strip, moderate growth

California Creek vegetation strip, high growth

Check dam catches seed and fertilizer.

Montana Conservation Corps members building check dams

Brush bundles and log check dams in deep gully of California Creek

Up to 18 inches of soil has eroded from upper California creek since miners and loggers first arrived in the 1860's