Hop Creek Ranch Private Pond Application Environmental Assessment
May 23, 2024 4:12 PM
A landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock rainbow trout. The private pond is approximately 1.7 surface acres and located on Hop Creek, a tributary to Painted Robe Creek near the town of Broadview. Fish surveys in lower Painted Robe Creek have documented Northern Redbelly Dace, a Montana Species of Special Concern, and it is likely that Northern Redbelly Dace occur in Hop Creek and the adjacent section of Painted Robe Creek. Although the pond is located on Hop Creek and near Painted Robe Creek, the risks with stocking the pond with hatchery-reared rainbow trout are minimal. Both creeks are more turbid and warmer than typically tolerated by rainbow trout.
The project is sponsored by the private landowner, and the license would be active for a period of 10 years from the year of issuance (2024). The license can be renewed for additional 10-year intervals at the end of each term, and the license is transferable.
Related Documents:
Public Comment Opportunity:
Deadline: Comments will be acccepted from May 23 to June 6, 2024.
Written comments can be mailed to:
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Attn: Shannon Blackburn
2300 Lake Elmo Dr.
Bilings, MT 59105
Emailed comments can be sent to Shannon.Blackburn@mt.gov