Streambank Restoration Project

Removing Old Cars on the Clark Fork River in Missoula, Montana

Our friend, Pete Kesel, gave us a great tip for a new video. Why not film the stream restoration project that was about to occur in his backyard? Up for any trout related project, we said sure!

Pete lives on a slough, or side channel, of the Clark Fork River in Missoula, Montana. Old cars and metal waste lay along his bank. They needed to go.

Old cars were used to curb erosion on many of the rivers of the West. Waterways were often used as trash dumps.

Dave Pontrelli of Streamside Services leads a team that removes the old cars and reachable trash, anchors the bank with natural materials such as trees, rocks, and organic matter. Cuttings are places to grow to shade the river and provide stability with their roots.

Resources

Are you in need of streambank restoration? Here’s the contact information of the contractors mentioned.

Streamside Services
David Pontrelli
2506 Muirfield Court
Missoula, MT 59808
Cell (406) 531-8865
Email streamsideservicesllc@gmail.com

Glacier Excavating
Osloski Road, PO Box 351
Eureka, MT 59917
Phone: 406-297-3155
Office:   GlacierExcavating@hotmail.com
Bob Cuffe:   Bob@GlacierExcavating.com

Herrera Engineering
Kevin Houck
101 East Broadway
Suite 610
Missoula MT 59802
406-998-6760

Westslope Forest Management, Inc
Josiah Denham
406-241-4161

Missoula County Flood Administrator
Todd Klietz
406-258-4841