Fish barrier planned on North Fork creek

Glacier National Park officials are proposing to install a fish barrier on Akokala Creek to prevent the establishment of invasive non-native fish in Akokala Lake.

The park has completed an environmental assessment for the project and is accepting public comments on the proposal until July 7.

Akokala Lake just west of Bowman Lake in Glacier’s North Fork area is one of the last lakes on the west side of the park that continues to support bull trout. The lake is at risk of invasion of non-native lake trout, a species that has invaded most west-side lakes.

The drainage also is susceptible to invasion by rainbow trout that can cross-breed with native westslope cutthroat trout that inhabit the drainage.

The fish barrier is intended to prevent non-native species from reaching the lake.

To comment and view the environmental assessment online go to: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/AkokalaFishBarrier.