16MT Ranch, LLC Private Pond License Review FWP-DN-FSH-R3-24-036

Sep 24, 2024 3:04 PM

A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock Rainbow Trout in a unnamed private pond. The pond is 1.0 surface acres. The pond is located on 89 Boyer Road, Big Sky, MT. The pond is about one mile east of Wickiup Creek, which is a tributary to Jack Creek. Wickiup Creek likely contains Brook Trout and hybridized Westslope Cutthroat Trout. The pond is fed from a groundwater well located on site. The outlet of the pond flows into a screened Agri-Drain control structure and directed to a vegetated swale on the property. Risk of escapement is low. Rainbow Trout are not native to Wickiup Creek or Jack Creek 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 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.