By Michael Howell
One undeniable fact that has Bitterroot River irrigators and anglers on edge right now is that the river is flowing at one third its average volume for this time of year. An unusually hot and dry April jump started an early runoff of the snow pack and already plans are being made to keep the irrigation water flowing as much as possible and at the same time protect the river’s fishery through what could be a difficult time.
As water levels in the river go down the temperature rises and when it gets too warm fish begin to suffer. Water temperatures of 73 degrees can be lethal for cold water loving trout, especially the native West Slope Cutthroats. Local studies suggest that the cutthroat trout can be impacted severely at even lower temperatures, around 68 degrees. When the river reaches high temperatures for three days FWP will consider invoking “Hoot Owl” restrictions and ask anglers to stop fishing from 2 pm to midnight, when temperatures are highest. FWP also owns 15,000 acre feet of water out of Painted Rocks Reservoir and can call for releases to help lower the temperature in the river at crucial times.
One sidenote about the Hoot Owl restrictions, according to Chris Clancy, FWP fisheries biologist, is that every time they are invoked on the Bitterroot River the temperature of the water drops almost immediately afterward, making it hard to determine the effects of the closure.
“It’s as though if you want the temperatures to go down, you just need to put the Hoot Owl restrictions in place and the conditions will change,” Clancy said.
Irrigators own another 10,000 acre feet out of the same reservoir and they, of course, are equally concerned about getting their water at least through the crucial month of August.
When river flows run low the biggest impact occurs at Bell Crossing near Victor. It is after the major ditches have taken their water out and before a majority of it returns just past Stevensville. It was when Bell Crossing ran dry one year that irrigators, FWP and conservation organizations like Trout Unlimited were all mobilized to find a solution. Water was purchased by FWP for the fishery and a cooperative effort between irrigators and anglers was begun that continues to this day.
FWP’s aim is to try and keep at least a minimum flow of 400 cubic feet per second (cfs) at Bell Crossing for the fishery. But that is not always possible and this year it is not expected to happen.
At a meeting hosted by the Bitterroot Chapter of Trout Unlimited last week, FWP’s Clancy and Bitterroot River Water Commissioner Al Pernichele talked about the situation.
According to Pernichele, this year the aim is to try and keep at least 250 cfs flowing at Bell Crossing. He said they are looking at an option of delaying FWP water releases until September and first portioning out the irrigators’ water. He said he hopes to keep 400 cfs flowing at the Darby measuring gauge. With other diversions in between, the flow will be reduced to about 250 cfs at Bell Crossing. Asked why the irrigators don’t quit using the water when it goes under the minimum 400 cfs needed for the fish, Pernichele said that the law allows the irrigators to take it all if they want to.
“They are willing to compromise to help save the fishery,” he said.
Clancy also spoke about the River Recreation Rules process that is currently underway. FWP determined from creel surveys done in 2013 and 2014 that 75% to 85 % of anglers on the West Fork were out-of-state people, most of them fishing with outfitters.
Last fall a focus group was formed, consisting of guides and outfitters, Trout Unlimited, Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association and FWP and a survey of 3,000 licensed anglers was conducted. According to Clancy, the response rate on the survey was extremely high with 957 usable responses, or about 32% response rate.
Three-hundred-and-twenty-five of the respondents said they fished on the West Fork. Sixty-nine percent said they mostly bank- and wade-fished.
Two-thirds of those who fished the West Fork said they were spending less time on it now due to “too many floaters, too many outfitters and guides, too many boats, too much of a crowd.”
Clancy said the surveys gave people the sense that something should be done. But there were also concerns that pushing people off the West Fork might mean they will just go down and put in on the main river and transfer the problem downstream. As a result of those concerns another study is planned and will probably be conducted in the next few weeks to see how people are feeling on a fifteen-mile stretch of the main stem above Wally Crawford Fishing Access site.
Clancy said that there would be plenty of opportunity for public input before any rules are adopted.
