River Etiquette: What Size Is Your Outdoor Footprint?

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There are footprints and then there are footprints. While most people know their shoe size, many may not think about the footprint they leave in the outdoors, especially when recreating around water.

Our outdoor footprint is measured by the impact of our activities. For example, how much time does it take to launch a drift boat from a boat ramp? How much noise does our particular group of friends generate? Do we recreate with pets? How do these and other factors affect others recreating nearby?

Here are some simple things you can do to reduce the size of your outdoor footprint and make it easier for those recreating around you to have a good time too.

Boaters

* Load your gear and rig your boat before entering the boat ramp area.

* If a river access parking lot is full or very busy, consider moving on to another location.

* When camping at a fishing access site, select a site that won’t inconvenience people trying to park or launch boats.

* On the water, watch for wade anglers and other craft just as you would for natural obstacles and plan in advance how to avoid them.  

* While giving an angler a wide berth, try to avoid floating over his or her fishing hole.

* If the fishing hole can’t be avoided, let the angler know you meant well but couldn’t avoid the disturbance.

* Travel at a no-wake speed when floaters or wading anglers are in the area.

* Respect rancher’s needs for fencing, and learn how to use floater gates and portage routes.

Anglers * When angling, avoid adding to the congestion around boat launch areas.

* Don’t encroach on another angler’s space. Use the "visual rule of crowding" and attempt to keep out of sight of other anglers when possible.

* Try not to monopolize a good fishing spot on the river; fish for a while, then move on.

* Wade anglers sometimes need to yield to floaters when there is no other channel for the floaters to navigate.

* Whenever possible, and without trespassing, use the shoreline to move from one point to the next. Foot traffic can damage fragile aquatic habitat.

All Users * Keep dogs leashed or under voice command.

* Keep group sizes small to lessen your impact on the outdoors and on those sharing the outdoors with you.

* Keep noise to a minimum.

* Have a clear understanding of Montana’s Stream Access Law.

* Respect private property and use a map to be certain you understand where public lands are along the river corridor or lake side.

* Use public toilets if they are available. If they are not, pack out or bury human waste properly.

* Don’t litter. If you pack it in, pack it out.

* When camping, use established camp sites and practice "Leave No Trace" principles to reduce your impact on the river corridor.

* If a fire is built, leave no trace of it. Better yet, consider using a fire pan.

While the actual number of people using the state’s waterways may increase, Montanans and their visitor can reduce the feeling of being crowded by managing the size of their footprint in the outdoors.