<p>Jackson Hole One Fly spearheads park stream project.</p>
<p>It started as a vision of Wyoming Game and Fish biologists Ralph Hudelson and John Kielfing more than 20 years ago: A project to restore a beautiful spring damaged by a former fish-rearing operation.</p>
<p>At one time, the Bar-B-C spring creek probably spawned 20 percent of our valley&#8217;s Snake River cutthroat. But spawning ceased because of severe siltation and habitat<br />
damage during the 1920s and &#8217;30s.</p>
<p>Restoring the stream would be a major contribution to the future of trout fishing in the valley. The main catch would be that the creek lies within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park. Park guidelines, which aim to leave things in their natural state, do not allow for stream-improvement projects to enhance fisheries.</p>
<p>Even though the damage occurred long before the land was sold to the Park Service, and was exacerbated by the Jackson Lake Dam, the idea of earth-moving equipment to repair it was initially unacceptable to park officials. Bureaucracy reared its ugly head, turning a positive effort into 20 years of stalling.</p>
<p>Renewed effort combined the forces of Superintendent Jack Neckels and Wyoming Game and Fish representatives, as well as those of Jay Buchner from Trout Unlimited and Dr. Dennis Butcher and Jack Dennis of the One Fly Capital Foundation.</p>
<p>In 1996, the One Fly helped fund the National Park Service Snake River Study Project, which identified this creek as an example where stream improvement efforts could correct man-caused problems. Permission for the project was granted.</p>
<p>Finally, in 1997, the first of a series of improvements was completed and analyzed. It will be accomplished in stages, to test each improvements viability and answer concerns about wetlands.</p>
<p>There are more fish spawning in the Bar-B-C spring creek, which will help ensure that our cutthroat will continue to thrive in Grand Teton National Park!</p>