Historic quarry operations pushed overburden onto a steep slope above the West Fork of the Gallatin River, creating unstable conditions and ultimately a series of landslides which deposited fine material into the Gallatin River at the confluence with Second Yellow Mule Creek. Coarse material was also deposited into the confluence area via Second Yellow Mule during a series of high flow events. We installed a series of weirs to concentrate flow and coarse woody material, designed by Troutwater Consulting, to diffuse erosional forces along the unstable streambank and limit erosion. Revegetation included willow transplants, wetland sod soil lifts and native wetland and upland seeding. Before restoration, the river bank was a high, continually eroding wall. Our restoration work lowered the angle of this bank and added stability. 

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Project Highlights

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• ​A series of weirs constructed on Second Yellow Mule Creek and the West Fork of the Gallatin River​​

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• Toewood bank and soil lift with live willow stakes to stabilize bank and add habitat

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• Construction of beaver-dam analogue structures 

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• Project completed 2023

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