NorthWestern Power launched sobering information Monday for anglers and water customers who favor the Madison River beneath Hebgen Dam. And this whereas the primary scorching, dry day of summer time stays months away.
The utility mentioned persistent drought, low snowpack and low soil moisture led it to resolve to cut back water releases from the Hebgen Reservoir from April 4 to April 24. The objective is to seize extra water within the reservoir to enhance flows within the months forward.
Reservoir water is used to manage flows on the higher and decrease Madison River yr spherical to attempt to preserve the long-term well being of the river system and its fishery.
“NorthWestern Power and our stakeholders determined to maneuver ahead with this plan to preserve water now to permit for that water for use later within the yr,” mentioned Andy Welch, NorthWestern Power Supervisor of Hydro License Compliance.
“Saving this water to complement flows throughout the warmth of the summer time will assist to cut back stress on fish from elevated water temperatures,” Welch mentioned.
River recreationists ought to concentrate on the decrease flows and use warning, the utility mentioned, including that the general public ought to keep away from strolling on any rainbow trout spawning redds throughout this low movement interval.
Mike Bias, govt director of the Fishing Outfitters Affiliation of Montana, mentioned the utility’s determination to chop flows now looks like a sound technique upfront of what is likely to be one other difficult yr.
“Lowering flows out of Hebgen now to hopefully preserve ample flows on the Madison by way of the summer time and into fall is a mandatory administration determination though, not a straightforward one,” Bias mentioned within the information launch.
“We all know too that NorthWestern Power doesn’t make this administration determination in a vacuum,” he mentioned. “Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks, BLM, and the Forest Service fisheries managers all assume that is the most effective plan of action right now.”
NorthWestern Power mentioned the Hebgen Reservoir is at present 10.3 ft beneath full pool and that inflows this winter have been about 79 % of regular. Snowpack within the Madison River Basin is at 76 % of regular.
Higher Madison River flows could also be decreased to 550 cubic ft per second on the Kirby U.S. Geological Survey gage and to 950 cfs beneath Madison Dam on the McAllister U.S. Geological Survey gage, NorthWestern Power mentioned.
In the meantime, different river basins reveal a necessity for extra precipitation. The Higher Clark Fork, for instance, is at about 81% of regular.
Alex Leone, restoration coverage supervisor for the Clark Fork Coalition, is one in all many individuals in southwest Montana, starting from ranchers to anglers, who hope that the weeks forward are chilly and moist.
“We’re in for a difficult water yr throughout many of the state except issues change huge time atmospherically within the subsequent month or two,” Leone mentioned Monday “The final two winters have been beneath common from a snowpack perspective in southwest Montana and impacts from drought are sometimes compounded over time.”
Leone mentioned the Madison Basin is “experiencing its worse back-to-back snowpack years in over 20 years” and famous that the Jefferson River Basin can also be struggling.
“The large thaws in January and February actually hammered the mid-and-low elevation snowpack in west-central and southwest Montana this winter,” he mentioned.
“Mid-and-low elevation snowpack is a large driver of early season water use practices and in lots of cases, late season movement forecasts. Until the scenario adjustments considerably, we should always count on water customers to activate early this yr,” Leone mentioned.
Hebgen Dam made information in November when a failure of a part of an outflow gate drastically reduce water releases to the Madison River. The resultant dewatering killed an unknown variety of trout and sculpin.
