361:(WPA) augmented the site with rock walled ponds and bridges for the hatchery and spring area, and planted willow trees around the spring area. Some of this work is still part of the hatchery. The hatchery eventually came under the purview of the state and is now operated by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Additions have been made to the hatchery through the years including buildings with inside raceways, outside raceways, houses and garages and in 1959 an additional site was added downstream. The Big Springs Trout Hatchery is the largest coldwater salmonid production facility in the state capable of producing 130,000 pounds of fish annually. Trout species propagated include several strains of
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support for the $ 365,000 restoration project. The restoration design called for re-establishing stream meanders that mimicked the historic course of Big Spring Creek. The new channel would meander 4,000 feet (1,200 m) across
Brewery Flats replacing the straight 2,600 feet (790 m) channel where the creek had been flowing for at least 80 years. In September 2000, water was diverted from the old channel into the new meandering course. Today, the Brewery Flats section of Big Spring Creek is much as it was in the 19th century.
60:
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a ditch that diverted the creek away from the developments. In 1985 the
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks acquired 23 acres (9.3 ha) of the Brewery Flats section to establish a fishing access site. Although nature had begun to reclaim the developed land with cattail marshes, cottonwood groves, and willow thickets, natural reclamation was impeded by the creek's channelization which eliminated annual flooding and siltation that fosters stream health.
67:
297:. The creek flows through and under the town of Lewistown. For three blocks spanning Main Street, the creek runs underneath the town in a man-made channel that was created as the town was built over the creek. The spring provides Lewistown's water supply, which requires no treatment for use by consumers.
445:
with the introduction rainbow and brown trout in the 1920s. Big Spring Creek anglers have landed brown trout up to 19 pounds (8.6 kg) and rainbow trout to 16 pounds (7.3 kg). The Big Spring Creek record brown trout was 33 inches (84 cm) long and 21 inches (53 cm) in girth. Browns
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As the town of
Lewistown grew, the creek, especially sections south of town began to degrade through water diversions for irrigation and power as well as some channelization to straighten sections to reclaim land and mitigate the effects of annual spring flooding. Progressive-minded settlers modified
388:
Between the early 1900s into the 1980s the
Brewery Flats section of the creek south of Lewistown was the site of various industrial activities including a rail yard, coal mine, oil refinery, feedlot and a brewery. The meanders of Big Spring Creek in the section were straightened and channelized into
313:
camped along Big Spring Creek on the night of
September 21, 1877 while trying to escape U.S. Army forces pursuing them. The campsite was near the stockade of the Reed and Bowles trading post which they had visited many times during summer hunting expeditions in the Judith Basin. They visited with
392:
After a slow start in planning and securing funding, the
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks initiative the reclamation effort in 1998. A coalition of local citizens, educators, civic groups, and government agencies—the Brewery Flats Planning and Development Committee—built community
288:
approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) south of
Lewistown and flows north, northwest for 30 miles (48 km) to its confluence with the Judith River. The spring is one of the largest in the world flowing at approximately 50,000 to 64,000 US gallons (190,000 to 240,000 L) per minute out of the
384:
were found in the creek downstream from the hatchery. The source of the PCBs was found to be from the paint used on the hatchery raceways which entered the creek when paint flaked off in the raceways. The hatchery ceased production for several years while the source of the PCBs was eliminated.
346:
the meandering creek in favor of transportation and agriculture efficiency. Irrigation ditches were dug as early as 1884. By 1886 water was being diverted to power a flour mill. Around 1910, a section the creek was straightened to create a switching yard for the
329:
in the area. The extended families of Pierre Berger (1879) and
Francis Janeaux (1880) established a settlement on Big Spring Creek where the Carroll Trail (a freight road from a steamboat landing on the Missouri River to
350:, an area that eventually became known as Brewery Flats. By 1922 Lewistown authorities had tunneled the creek through an 840-foot long concrete conduit beneath the central business district.
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939:"The Resurrection of Brewery Flats-How local citizens and public agencies joined forces to restore a channelized section of Big Spring Creek"
887:
867:"Images of the West: Restoring Lewistown's "Nectar of the Gods"-The Machler Project on Big Spring Creek redeems historic fishery in Montana"
417:
anglers with significant public access along its 30 mi (48 km) length. There are six public
Fishing Access Sites operated by the
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in some sections with fish population estimates up to 1500 catch-able fish per mile. The creek was once populated with
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Cowell, A.; Taylor, A.; Brockie, T. (2016). "Gros Ventre ethnogeography and place names: A diachronic perspective".
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In 1922 the city of
Lewistown in cooperation with a local rod and gun club established the Big Springs Trout
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334:) crossed the creek. The site became the town of Lewistown, Montana which was formally established in 1883.
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Thomas, E. Donnall (2001). "Big Spring Creek-Prairie Jewel". In Jones, Allen Morris; Wetmore, Jeff (eds.).
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The hatchery had contributed to a serious pollution situation when in 2003, high levels of
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Reed telling him about the encounters with the soldiers during their flight from Oregon.
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and rainbows in the creek typically range from 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) long.
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633:"USGS Surface Water data for Montana: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics"
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1404:‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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Big Spring Creek, Granite County, Montana, el. 4,485 feet (1,367 m),
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101:
834:""Just Following the Buffalo": Origins of a Montana Métis Community"
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at the artesian spring source of the creek. During the 1930s the
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Great Northern and Milwaukee Road Spring Creek trestle at mile 12
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1177:
988:. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Archived from
890:. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Archived from
684:. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Archived from
1116:
783:
Oscar O. Mueller (Spring 1964). "The Nez Perce at Cow Island".
1194:
961:"Fishing Spring Creeks-The Big Sky's Distinguished Waters"
682:"Montana Fisheries Information System-Big Spring Creek"
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In 1879, what became known as the Spring Creek Band of
740:. Bozeman, Montana: Bangtail Press. pp. 136–144.
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761:Oehlet, Kara; Heppermann, Ann (October 17, 2009).
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941:. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
916:. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
763:"A Thrill Ride Lies Under A Montana Main Street"
419:Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
1128:
8:
986:"Detailed Waterbody Report-Big Spring Creek"
738:Flylines-The Best of Big Sky Journal Fishing
269:'warm water') is a tributary of the
325:region north of the Missouri River to hunt
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1121:
1113:
1195:
708:"Montana Fly Fishing in Big Spring Creek"
1103:United States Department of the Interior
1075:United States Department of the Interior
1047:United States Department of the Interior
860:
858:
791:(2). Montana Historical Society: 50–53.
785:Montana: The Magazine of Western History
710:. www.enjoylewistown.com. Archived from
619:United States Department of the Interior
321:migrated into the Judith Basin from the
932:
930:
596:
832:Foster, Martha Harroun (Summer 2006).
814:. Historic Trails Research, Ames, Iowa
25:
937:Tews, Anne; Lere, Mark (April 2002).
7:
963:. Distinctly Montana. Archived from
844:(3). Lincoln: University of Nebraska
241:183 cu ft/s (5.2 m/s)
1094:Geographic Names Information System
1066:Geographic Names Information System
1038:Geographic Names Information System
610:Geographic Names Information System
421:between river mile 27 and mile 15.
34:Big Spring Fork of the Judith River
1390:Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation
1143:Municipalities and communities of
293:formation in the foothills of the
14:
912:Wilkinson, Todd (May–June 2015).
547:, el. 6,785 feet (2,068 m),
459:, el. 6,342 feet (1,933 m),
65:
58:
42:
1099:United States Geological Survey
1071:United States Geological Survey
1043:United States Geological Survey
959:Leach, Michael (July 7, 2006).
615:United States Geological Survey
281:. The creek originates from a
23:River in Montana, United States
1012:"50 years at Big Spring Creek"
409:Big Spring Creek is a popular
146: • coordinates
1:
1010:Field, Vern (July 21, 2011).
359:Works Progress Administration
118:Physical characteristics
888:"Big Springs Trout Hatchery"
198:3,379 ft (1,030 m)
194: • elevation
914:"Making Things Right Again"
865:Moser, Cathy (March 2011).
648:Anthropological Linguistics
405:Mile 15 of Big Spring Creek
224: • location
134: • location
1460:
810:Russell, Steve F. (2002).
237: • average
48:Source of Big Spring Creek
36:East Fork Big Spring Creek
15:
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1192:
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439:Westslope cutthroat trout
309:, Chief Joseph's band of
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210:
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812:"The Carroll Trail 1875"
545:Gallatin County, Montana
457:Granite County, Montana
259:
206:30 mi (48 km)
1200:
1146:Fergus County, Montana
838:Great Plains Quarterly
567:45.04639°N 111.19750°W
521:46.41306°N 113.71167°W
479:46.09361°N 113.44444°W
441:which were eventually
406:
342:
275:Fergus County, Montana
169:47.20306°N 109.64139°W
112:Fergus County, Montana
1198:
660:10.1353/anl.2016.0025
404:
367:Yellowstone cutthroat
340:
1422:United States portal
688:on November 30, 2016
572:45.04639; -111.19750
526:46.41306; -113.71167
484:46.09361; -113.44444
174:47.20306; -109.64139
16:For other uses, see
1299:Spring Creek Colony
562: /
516: /
474: /
295:Big Snowy Mountains
164: /
1382:Indian reservation
1274:Fords Creek Colony
1249:Ayers Ranch Colony
1201:
1089:"Big Spring Creek"
1061:"Big Spring Creek"
1033:"Big Spring Creek"
1014:. Flyfisherman.com
714:on August 14, 2015
605:"Big Spring Creek"
543:Big Spring Creek,
455:Big Spring Creek,
407:
343:
279:Lewistown, Montana
1444:Rivers of Montana
1431:
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1304:Warm Spring Creek
1289:Lewistown Heights
1284:King Ranch Colony
1199:Fergus County map
869:. Big Sky Journal
291:Madison-Limestone
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74:Location of mouth
32:Big Spring Branch
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1269:Deerfield Colony
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425:is popular for
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332:Helena, Montana
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283:first magnitude
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967:on May 6, 2015
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654:(2): 132–170.
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375:Kokanee salmon
348:Milwaukee Road
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992:on 2015-05-28
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894:on 2015-05-28
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413:location for
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365:, as well as
364:
363:rainbow trout
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92:United States
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27:
19:
1339:Forest Grove
1259:Coffee Creek
1165:
1092:
1083:
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1016:. Retrieved
1005:
994:. Retrieved
990:the original
980:
969:. Retrieved
965:the original
954:
943:. Retrieved
918:. Retrieved
907:
896:. Retrieved
892:the original
882:
871:. Retrieved
846:. Retrieved
841:
837:
827:
816:. Retrieved
805:
788:
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778:
767:. Retrieved
756:
737:
716:. Retrieved
712:the original
702:
690:. Retrieved
686:the original
676:
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641:
627:
608:
599:
450:Other creeks
408:
391:
387:
379:
352:
344:
316:
304:
271:Judith River
260:ʔinííθɔ́ɔwuh
251:
250:
139:Judith River
1316:communities
1221:Grass Range
1161:County seat
570: /
557:111°11′51″W
524: /
511:113°42′42″W
482: /
469:113°26′40″W
435:brook trout
433:as well as
431:brown trout
423:Fly fishing
371:brown trout
256:Gros Ventre
172: /
159:109°38′29″W
1364:Ghost town
1018:2015-08-17
996:2015-06-11
971:2015-06-10
945:2015-06-13
920:2015-06-12
898:2015-06-11
873:2015-06-10
848:2015-06-11
818:2016-07-23
769:2015-06-10
747:0965333655
576: (
554:45°02′47″N
530: (
508:46°24′47″N
488: (
466:46°05′37″N
443:extirpated
323:Milk River
178: (
156:47°12′11″N
1400:Footnotes
1334:Christina
1186:Lewistown
1168:Lewistown
765:. NPR.org
668:151520012
311:Nez Perce
230:Lewistown
215:Discharge
1438:Category
1344:Garneill
1231:Winifred
355:Hatchery
108:District
83:Location
1372:Armells
1329:Buffalo
1324:Amherst
1264:Danvers
797:4516808
718:June 9,
692:June 9,
427:rainbow
411:angling
397:Angling
327:buffalo
301:History
267:
102:Montana
88:Country
1354:Hoosac
1279:Hilger
1254:Brooks
1216:Denton
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373:, and
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203:Length
128:
1349:Heath
1314:Other
1226:Moore
1208:Towns
793:JSTOR
664:S2CID
591:Notes
415:trout
319:Métis
277:near
228:near
124:Mouth
98:State
1241:CDPs
1178:City
742:ISBN
720:2015
694:2015
429:and
382:PCBs
369:and
265:lit.
1294:Roy
656:doi
273:in
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