188 Foxtail Pine, LLC Private Pond License Review FWP-CEA-FSH-R3-24-037

May 30, 2024 10:03 AM

A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock Westslope Cutthroat Trout in an unnamed private pond. The pond is 2.0 surface acres. The pond is located on 188 Foxtail Pine Road, Big Sky, MT. The pond is about one mile north of the South Fork of the West Fork (South Fork), which is a tributary to the West Gallatin River. The South Fork contains Brook Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout. The pond is fed from a groundwater well located at the site. The outlet consists of a screened Agri-Drain control structure. The outlet of the pond is directed to a vegetated swale on the property.

Risk of escapement is low. Westslope Cutthroat Trout are native to the South Fork of the West Fork Gallatin River and the West Gallatin River. A conservation population of Westslope Cutthroat Trout exists upstream of Ousel Falls which necessitates limiting the permit to cutthroat trout. Westslope Cutthroat Trout could be removed from the pond via chemical treatments or through senescence.

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.