Without a doubt, one of the main themes in this year's newsletter is the impacts of the floods of 2011 on the fishery resources and the aquatic and riparian habitats of Montana. The snowpack was much higher than average in many areas of the state and a cold, wet spring extended high water through June and into July in many areas, keeping waters turbid and cold and making fishing difficult and slow.

In the lower Missouri and Yellowstone drainages, the floods were an unfortunate convergence of runoff and intense spring rains, causing much flood damage, with the most devastating effects in central Montana rivers such as the Milk, Judith and Musselshell. The consequences of the floods on the fishery resources were mixed. In ponds and reservoirs, rising water levels are often very beneficial in terms of forage fish production. High water in rivers can be a positive cue for large migratory fish like paddlefish, bull trout and sturgeon seeking to reach spawning grounds, provided that other conditions like time of year and water temperature are adequate. The high water unfortunately is also destructive, and the new channels that form, the banks that are eroded, and the bedload that is moved, may have both positive and negative effects for the fish.

The effects of the floods on human dwellings, property and their enterprises also affect our staff. Countless hours were spent this summer and fall on stream protection permits as flood waters dropped and landowners were developing plans to repair flood damage. Staff in south central Montana shouldered the additional task of overseeing a major oil spill caused when a pipe broke at the peak of Yellowstone River runoff. As you read through the summaries of activities of our fisheries staff from around the state, you will appreciate the difficulties that floods pose for them to get their work done, and also the benefits and costs for fish management that ensue in the aftermath of floods.

2012 Annual Fishing Newsletter

Download of the PDF file may take several minutes even with a HIGH SPEED connection.

2012 Annual Fishing Newsletter	Pages 1–56	2.1 MB
eBook Version