Montana
Overview
Where would Montana be without the rivers that run through it? Montana’s Priority Waters flow across breathtaking landscapes and remote wilderness areas and are home to some of America’s most iconic trout fisheries. From catching a coveted Yellowstone cutthroat trout to floating the Smith River and enjoying one of the most rugged landscapes in the United States, Montana’s distinctive angling feeds the state’s deep-rooted commitment to conservation. The Big Sky State’s Priority Waters include the Yellowstone, the Upper Missouri, the Clark Fork, and the Kootenai basins, encompassing famed rivers like the Madison, the Bighorn, and the Gallatin. Through our work with local partners and state and federal agencies, we are reconnecting streams, restoring habitat, improving climate resilience, advocating for smart conservation policy, and protecting native trout strongholds.
Fish We're Protecting
Threats & Opportunities
Climate change is a cross-cutting issue affecting all waters in Montana. Impacts to coldwater fisheries include increased development pressure, reduced snowpack, earlier runoff, reduced summer stream flows, increased summer water temperatures, and increased frequency and duration of drought. The state’s rich industrial history has also left wild and native trout waters in peril. Pollution, habitat fragmentation, competition with non-native species, and water use issues stress fisheries. We are working with agricultural partners to conserve water, improve habitat, and maintain rural landscapes.
What We're Accomplishing
Restoring Ninemile Creek After Historic Mining
In the Clark Fork River basin west of Missoula, we are completing a landmark restoration effort to repair damage from historic dredge mining along Ninemile Creek. Through more than two decades of work with the Lolo National Forest and conservation partners, we are restoring more than six miles of stream, reconnecting 11 tributaries and reclaiming seven abandoned mine sites. With more than $7 million invested across seven phases, fish from the Clark Fork River are returning to spawn in restored habitat.
Reconnecting the Upper Clark Fork River
In the Deer Lodge Valley, we are working with partners to reconnect 27 miles of the upper Clark Fork River as the state advances cleanup of historic mining and smelting impacts. We have restored fish passage at five of eight irrigation diversions, with three remaining projects in planning and design.
In nearby Warm Springs Creek, we have completed nine of 12 fish passage projects to reconnect 64 miles of critical bull trout habitat. We are also advancing streamflow protections through a proposed Silver Lake water release agreement and improving habitat and fish passage in the Flint Creek and Rock Creek watersheds.
Combining Restoration and Water Protection on Mill Creek
In the Yellowstone River basin, Mill Creek demonstrates how we combine restoration and water protection to benefit native trout. This important Paradise Valley tributary provides spawning habitat for migratory Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
Working with agencies and private landowners, we have completed two phases of stream restoration, with a third underway. Alongside habitat improvements, we are protecting instream flows, maintaining coldwater connectivity with the Yellowstone River and advocating for responsible water management that benefits fish and other water users.
Expanding Restoration Across the Upper Missouri River Basin
Across the Gallatin, Madison and Jefferson watersheds, we are restoring habitat and improving streamflows to sustain wild and native trout amid drought and development pressures.
In the Gallatin and Madison watersheds, we are working with landowners on process-based restoration that reconnects floodplains, improves spawning habitat and increases natural water storage. In the Jefferson River basin, we are restoring tributaries, improving fish passage and working to conserve the last remaining river-dwelling Arctic grayling populations in the contiguous United States.
Across the basin, we are also advancing voluntary water transactions, improved reservoir management and cooperative drought planning to keep more water in streams for fish, wildlife and communities.
How You Can Help
Connect with other volunteers and learn how you can help recover Montana’s rivers and streams.
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Montana Conservation Team
Casey Hackathorn
Montana State Director
casey.hackathorn@tu.org
Montana State Director
casey.hackathorn@tu.org
David Brooks
Executive Director, Montana Trout Unlimited
david@montanatu.org
Executive Director, Montana Trout Unlimited
david@montanatu.org
Priority Waters
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Yellowstone River Headwaters
Encompassing the entire native range of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Montana and some of Montana’s most renowned fisheries, this Priority Water includes Yellowstone National Park and the Paradise Valley, along with the Shields, Boulder, Stillwater, and Bighorn rivers. Our efforts to recover the Yellowstone cutthroat trout include reconnecting habitats to support migratory populations, isolating genetically pure populations, and working with local partners to improve streamflow and climate resilience. We work with private landowners, conservation districts, partner organizations, and state and federal agencies to ensure a collaborative approach to watershed management and habitat enhancement.
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Upper Missouri River
The Upper Missouri basin includes the Red Rock, Ruby, and Big Hole subbasins, as well as the Gallatin, Smith River, Madison, and Jefferson rivers. In the Upper Missouri, TU leads restoration efforts for native Westslope cutthroat trout and Arctic grayling, which involves watershed-scale re-establishment efforts, habitat improvement, reconnection, and in-stream flow work. Dewatering is also a challenge in this basin. Together with Montana TU, we work with farmers, private landowners, and the state to secure more water in-stream and protect against drought, in addition to overseeing the Jefferson Watershed Program. Further, TU’s Gallatin Home Rivers Initiative, supported by Simms, collaborates with community members to prioritize restoration projects that help wild trout thrive in the fastest-growing county in Montana.
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Clark Fork River
In the Clark Fork Basin, TU works to preserve and enhance native Westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout strongholds in the Flint Rock, Blackfoot River, Upper and Middle Clark Fork, and Bitterroot watersheds. Our restoration work spans from the headwaters near Butte all the way to the Idaho border. This includes rehabilitating the largest geographic complex of Superfund sites in the country, mitigating the impacts of historical mining activity, restoring critical habitat, reconnecting tributaries, and minimizing the impacts of non-native species. Long-term partnerships with key federal agencies, including the Forest Service, drive much of our work on tributaries like Ninemile and Rattlesnake Creek.
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Kootenai River
The Kootenai River is home to the only population of native redband trout in Montana as well as bull trout and Westslope cutthroat trout. Unfortunately, transboundary selenium pollution from upstream coal mines threatens fisheries in the basin. Montana TU works with private, state, federal, and tribal partners to restore habitat and protect water quality. Meanwhile, TU’s Water Program is helping adjudicate water rights in the Kootenai, protecting against proposed expansions that would threaten trout populations that rely on cool, clean water.
Stories
