Raise your paddle for the Gros Ventre!

The Gros Ventre area around Crystal Creek campground is a popular access point to the upper Gros Ventre drainage, and is high-use area within the Bridger Teton National Forest (BTNF) for a wide variety of recreation opportunities. By supporting this project, you can help protect access to fishing and public lands up the Gros Ventre for our community while also improving fish habitat and showcasing river and fish-friendly techniques for streambank stabilization.

More about the project: Flooding during spring run-off in 2017 and subsequent seasons has eroded both the Gros Ventre and Crystal Creek banks in the project area, which has taken portions of roads, infrastructure, and campsites within the campground. A microburst wind event in June 2022 further compromised the campground by blowing over many trees and exposing full root wads. Many other trees were broken, while others remain leaning precariously with compromised root systems. Following the microburst wind event, the Forest Service reached out to TU partners for emergency assistance to fund and manage a project that would protect the Gros Ventre road in the long-term while addressing concerns about bank stability and access. The goals of this project are to 1) ensure continued access for the public to the Gros Ventre area by addressing the areas where road instability and integrity are diminished, and 2) provide bank stability through bioengineered structures appropriate for the Wild and Scenic designation. Unlike the use of rip-rap for bank stability, bioengineered structures are designed to not only provide bank stability, but maintain or improve habitat for fishes and other aquatic organisms. TU is helping the BTNF manage the project and we are currently trying to raise a $50,000 gap in funding for the project to cover costs for construction this fall. Help keep the Gros Ventre road open so you can get to your favorite backcountry fishing spots while also improving fish habitat!