Purpose of the project:
Located just outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming is Bitter Creek, an 80 mile stretch of stream that provides important habitat to many species of fish, including the native Flannelmouth Sucker, a species that has been identified as one of greatest conservation need.

To ensure the Flannelmouth Sucker continues to flourish in Bitter Creek the Desert Fish Habitat Partnership, Anadarko, BLM, Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI), the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department have partnered up to replace a failing drop structure. Over the last 40 years this drop structure has helped protect Flannelmouth Sucker populations by providing a fish barrier to invasive White Suckers, a species that is able to hybridize with Flannelmouth Suckers.

Human Interest/Community Benefit:
By replacing the failing drop structure with an engineered structure in a more suitable location the water quality and habitat found below the drop structure in Bitter Creek will be improved. Additionally, the new structure will help reduce erosion and sedimentation that has been associated with the active head-cut found on the current structure.

Project Timeline:
The project is expected to be completed in 2018.

Economic Calculator results
As per a model developed by the Genter Consulting Group, the habitat enhancement aspects of the project alone will result in the creation of 18 additional jobs and an estimated $1,011,483.49 dollar increase in economic activity.

Partners:
This project was funded by the following partners;
Desert Fish Habitat Partnership,
Anadarko
Bureau of Land Management
Sweetwater County, Wyoming
Wyoming Department of Agriculture
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative

Updates:
The Bitter Creek Drop Structure Project is almost completed. The project faced a minor setback in 2017 due to extremely high water however, since then the project has been progressing at a steady pace and will be completed in 2018.

Project Submission by:
The Desert Fish Habitat Partnership