Nick Rowley Private Pond License Review FWP-CEA-FSH-R3-24-061

Aug 2, 2024 3:47 PM

A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock Rainbow Trout in an unnamed private pond. This pond is 0.5 surface acres and located on 1200 Mountain Meadows Lane, Big Sky, Montana about 1.5 miles south of Big Sky near the South Fork West Fork Gallatin River (hereafter referred to as the “South Fork”), which is a tributary to the West Fork Gallatin River. The South Fork contains Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow Trout below Ousel Falls. This pond is fed from groundwater recharge and has an intermittent outlet that consists of a screened culvert that discharges to open ground. Risk of escapement is very low. Rainbow Trout are not native to the South Fork but were legally stocked. Rainbow 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.