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Game and Fish presents Deer Creek restoration plan to Glenrock council
Summary
John McCrory of Game and Fish told the council Deer Creek in Town Park scored 28 out of 60 on a stream‑assessment tool and recommended narrowing-and‑deepening, floodplain widening and invasive‑species removal; he offered to provide a conceptual design and outlined likely state and federal funding partners.
John McCrory, a habitat biologist with Game and Fish, told the Glenrock Town Council that a partial stream‑assessment of Deer Creek in Town Park scored “it got a 28 out of 60,” indicating room for substantial habitat improvements. McCrory walked the council through the tool’s findings, highlighting wide, shallow riffles, some bank erosion and areas where invasive Russian olive has displaced native cover.
McCrory outlined practical restoration objectives: narrow‑to‑deepen channel adjustments to create deeper pools for trout spawning, widening the active floodplain to allow more natural meanders, targeted removal of Russian olive, and use of natural materials (large trees and rock) to form in‑stream structures. “If we can get more deep pools, that's gonna really help,” he said, summarizing why deeper habitat is the biggest single gain for fish. He described upstream reaches where he recorded pools “7 foot plus” as evidence that the system can sustain deeper habitat.
On costs and timing, McCrory said he could lead a conceptual design using in‑house Game and Fish resources and help assemble a funding plan; he estimated a complete design could be achievable for roughly $200,000 and cautioned construction costs could be substantially higher. “I would hope we could do it for 200,000,” he said; others in the room noted construction could run into the millions. McCrory listed likely partners and funding sources the council could pursue — Game and Fish Trust Fund, WWNRT, NRCS/EQIP and the Converse County Conservation District — and explained permitting pathways (Army Corps, Wyoming DEQ, floodplain authorities) that would follow design.
Council members asked technical questions about buried pipes and adjacent landowners and signaled interest in a measured, phased approach that begins with conceptual designs and landowner engagement before committing large construction dollars. The council instructed staff to gather more information and to coordinate a stakeholder meeting to involve adjacent property owners and relevant agencies in scoping the next steps.
