BAUCUS APPLAUDS IMPORTANT VICTORY FOR BIGHORN RIVER
Senator Says While Not Perfect, Flow Increase Could Save Brown Trout Spawn
In direct response to pressure from Montana Senator Max Baucus, the Bureau of Reclamation announced that they will increase flows for the Bighorn River starting in November.
The BOR fall/winter release plan would increase flows by 150 cubic feet per second from 1750 cfs to 1900 cfs.
Protecting Our Outdoor Heritage
“While at this point the Friends of Bighorn River are delighted with any increase in flows, 1900 cfs is still well below established minimums for a healthy fishery, and we are going to continue to hold are breath and pray that the brown trout have a decent spawn,” said Doug Haacke, founder of the Friends of the Bighorn River. “As always, we appreciate Senator Baucus’ bulldog-like tenacity in standing with us to ensure flows for a healthy fishery.”
In September Baucus sent a letter to Dan Jewell, the BOR’s area director, making a strong case for increased flows to help brown trout populations, which have decreased from 9,000 per mile in 1997 to around 2,000 today.
While Baucus originally requested for flows to be increased to 2,500 cfs for the fall and winter, he said that this was an important step to protecting the brown trout population.
“This is a good step in the right direction, but I’m going to keep pushing for increased flows,” Baucus said. “The Bighorn is more than a river, it’s an economic lifeline, and a haven for anglers from all over the world, and I want to make sure that the river levels, and the brown trout population, reach healthy levels.”
Baucus’ September request was the latest development in a dispute that has pitted recreation interests in Wyoming against Montana fishermen and women, outfitters, and small business owners who say the Bighorn River generates more than $30 million per year in economic activity. Wyoming wants more water held in Bighorn Lake, while Montana wants more water released into the river.
Baucus was pointed in his September assessment of the current situation, noting Bighorn Lake levels, as of September 3, were 31.7 feet higher than on the same date in 2006. He said the water level was 50.2 feet above the minimum for boat launches at Barry’s Landing and Ok-A-Beh in Montana, and 15.2 feet above the minimum at Horseshoe Bend in Wyoming.
Working Together For The Bighorn
At the urging of Baucus, Montana’s elected leaders, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and river advocates, the BOR increased flows in the river this summer from 1,500 cubic feet per second to 1,750 CFS. It was a small but important victory for the river, but the fall months will prove pivotal in fisheries biologists’ efforts to protect brown trout numbers in the river.
While he’s pushing the agency for increased flows, Baucus is also working to pass his Bighorn River Protection Act, which would set preferred minimum flows at 2,500 cubic feet per second, require the agency to manage all four BOR reservoirs in the Bighorn watershed together, and list “maintaining a healthy fishery” as one of Yellowtail Dam’s authorized uses. (Currently, the dam is authorized only for flood control and power generation.)
