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Maps by Christopher Miller, EVST UMT Alum |
Happy Science Friday! Today we are highlighting an assessment of the health of Rattlesnake Creek as it relates to the last 100 years, synthesized by an alumni of the EVST program at the University of Montana, Christopher Miller!
Most of the knowledge of the Rattlesnake is based on aerial photos that have been archived over the last century. With these photos and various monitoring efforts beginning within the last few decades, conclusions can be made on various characteristics such as biotic species, stream sinuosity, and land use in the surrounding area.
Trends in fish populations show the effects of the Rattlesnake Dam on migrations. It was noted that the presence of the dam prevented movement of population between upper and lower reaches of the river, but with a lack of monitoring prior to its installation, it is difficult to know the true influence of the dam on fish populations.
The subtle curves of the river from a topographic perspective are unique to the low slope of the creek, where the sinuosity experienced on the Rattlesnake is more common on steeper slopes. This was the case at the beginning of the scope of this study, about a century ago, and has not changed much since. This means there was likely a lot of development along the banks of this river starting around the 1920’s.
As seen above, the most significant changes in the area of interest is the way in which land is used. Grasslands were managed by Missoulian’s since the 1920’s, but a more urban characteristic is seen developed between now and then. This means more people, homes, and utility systems within the basin!
We look forward to the monitoring efforts of WEN to be used for future analysis like this! Can’t wait to see what Rattlesnake Creek trends look like in another hundred years!
