People and Wildlife Flock to Healthy Creek
Just a few miles northwest of Helena, Prickly Pear Land Trust owns and manages the 358-acre Sevenmile Creek Project Area for water quality, wildlife habitat, and education. This rare undeveloped valley property consists of grasslands, rolling hills, and water. Sevenmile Creek, a major tributary of the Lake Helena watershed, bisects the property and offers refuge to 160 bird species, native fish, and elk, moose, and deer. It’s also an outdoor classroom for our education program, and volunteers get their hands dirty with restoration work.
Restoration is Forever — and It Takes a Village
When Prickly Pear Land Trust acquired the property in 2016, the creek had been reduced to ditch. It was one of the top contributors of sediment to Lake Helena, and it was inaccessible to fish and wildlife. The restoration project moved it back into the floodplain, added a half mile of meanders, stabilized the banks with sand, rocks, and vegetation, and created new wetlands and ponds. Native wildlife, vegetation, and fisheries returned to the riparian zone, which now alleviates flooding downstream and prevents sediments from entering Helena’s drinking water.
The restoration project continues with staff and volunteers returning regularly to plant trees and shrubs, monitor wildlife and water quality, and manage weeds. Many public and private partners helped make this project possible: Lewis & Clark County; U.S. Department of Defense; The Conservation Fund; Montana Aquatic Resources Services (MARS); NorthWestern Energy; Future Fisheries; Cross Foundation; Willow Springs; Montana Trout Foundation; Trout Unlimited – Pat Barnes Chapter; Patagonia; and The Cinnabar Foundation.
