Project Overview

Trout Unlimited will complete designs to restore fish passage at the Spread Creek diversion, which currently blocks access to 60 miles of Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout habitat in the Upper Snake River basin.  Spread Creek is located along the east margins of Grand Teton National Park, near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The lower end of Spread Creek traverses through relatively pristine national park lands before joining the Upper Snake River approximately 15 miles below Jackson Dam.  This lower section historically served as a migration corridor for large fluvial Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout while the upper portion of Spread Creek served as important spawning and rearing habitat for fluvial fish and as a year-round home for resident native cutthroat.  However, due to the Spread Creek diversion structure, native fish migration to the upper reaches is no longer possible. The Spread Creek Project focuses on reconnecting native trout and native non-game species to approximately 60 miles of aquatic habitat via the removal of the lone Spread Creek diversion structure. By redesigning the structure and restoring the impacted reach, the desired outcome is to restore native trout movement to the upper reaches of Spread Creek. Project partners include Marine Ventures Foundation, Grand Teton National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and private landowners.