Delegation, Governor Unite To Protect Bighorn River

(Washington, D.C.) ? All four of Montana's top elected officials united today in opposition to a plan that will reduce flows and hurt trout numbers on the Bighorn River.

Sen. Max Baucus spearheaded a letter signed by Sen. Jon Tester, Rep. Denny Rehberg and Governor Schweitzer to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Robert Johnson.

For the first time, the four leaders united in opposition to a flow schedule announced April 9 by BOR officials that they say could eliminate an entire age class of fish in the river below Yellowtail Dam.

"We are particularly frustrated by the Bureau's lack of accountability to the public," Baucus, Tester, Rehberg, and Schweitzer wrote, calling the move "a wholesale disregard for traditional federal agency-state channels of communication."

The Montana officials are taking issue with the BOR for reversing a decision announced during a public meeting in Billings on March 21 that would have bumped flows in the river to 2,000 cubic feet per second in May, during the critical rainbow trout spawn.

On April 9, BOR officials reversed the March decision and said they will keep a flow level of 1,500 cfs until June.

The Delegation and Governor said the new flow plan will "result in dry side channels and the absence of an entire age class of wild trout on one of the nation's premier trout streams."

The leaders also said the April 9 decision came "as a complete surprise."

"In the three weeks since the BOR presentation in March, the only new development has been the unexpected but welcome and significant amount of precipitation in the basin," the Montana leaders wrote. "We expect the courtesy of being alerted to these reversals in management direction."

In addition to hurting fish numbers in the river, the Montana leaders said the decision could level a blow to the local economy as well.

"In addition to unacceptable impacts to the fishery, this action, if uncorrected, will have a devastating effect on the local economy," the leaders wrote. "The 70,000 to 90,000 angler days on the Bighorn River make it one of the most valuable trout fisheries in the country. These facts make the BOR decision inexplicable."

"We do not accept the latest decision by the Bureau of Reclamation on Bighorn River stream flows as final," the letter concluded. "We urge you to work with us in revisiting the Bureau's flow schedule, and finding a better solution."

The letter, sent today, is below and attached.

The Honorable Robert Johnson
Commissioner
Bureau of Reclamation
US Department of Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20240-0001

Dear Commissioner Johnson:

We are writing you today with concern about flows on the Bighorn River. The decision by the Bureau of Reclamation to provide inadequate spring spawning flows from Yellowtail Dam is unacceptable. The Bighorn waters and fishery are critical to Montana's economy and the outdoor heritage we all enjoy.

We need to find common sense solutions to the problems facing the Bighorn River. Fisheries biologists have repeatedly stated that the minimum flow to maintain healthy spawning and rearing habitat on the Bighorn River is 2,500 cubic feet per second (cfs), and that 2,000 cfs is an absolute minimum for at least some measure of successful recruitment. The recent Bureau of Reclamation decision to hold flows at 1,500 cfs until June will result in dry side channels , and the absence of an entire age class of wild trout on one of the nation's premier trout streams.

In addition to unacceptable impacts to the fishery, this action, if uncorrected, will have a devastating effect on the local economy. Biologically, the river fishery will suffer from inadequate spawning flows; no similar case can be made for the reservoir fishery. Economically, the 70,000 to 90,000 angler days on the Bighorn River make it one of the most valuable trout fisheries in the country. These facts make the BOR decision inexplicable.

We are particularly frustrated by the Bureau's lack of accountability to the public. On March 21 , the Bureau announced during a public meeting that it would set flows at 2,000 cfs to support the spring rainbow trout spawn in the river. The subsequent announcement on April 9 to set flows at only 1,500 cfs came as a complete surprise , and demonstrated a wholesale disregard for traditional federal agency?state channels of communication. In the three weeks since the BOR presentation in March, the only new development has been the unexpected , but welcome , and significant amount of precipitation in the basin. We expect the courtesy of being alerted to these reversals in management direction.

We have previously expressed our thoughts about the importance of the Bighorn River to Montanans. Our state prides itself on its agriculture industry and its outdoors heritage. Farmers and ranchers re ly on the river for irrigation. Montanans hunt and fish along the river, and take their kids floating and camping. Montana's Main Streets welcome folks from all around who fish one of the world's best trout streams , and take in the tremendous scenery.

We do not accept the latest decision by the Bureau of Reclamation on Bighorn River stream flows as final. We urge you to work with us in revisiting the Bureau's flow schedule , and finding a better solution.

With best personal regards, we are

Sincerely,
Sen. Max Baucus
Sen. Jon Tester
Gov. Brian Schweitzer
Rep. Denny Rehberg

Updated Information can be found at www.bighornriver.org