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WALLEYES
FOREVER E-NEWSLETTER No. 10: 4-16-07
Jeffery Niewojna, from Wilsall, with one of the lake trout he caught while fishing out of Hell Creek
Marina on Fort Peck recently. The laker bite has been good with fish hitting crankbaits trolled at 15-20 feet. Most action has been in the reach of lake east of Hell Creek. Bighorn River flow reduction will hurt fishery Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks In spite
of recent precipitation events, and increasing snow-water equivalents in the
Bighorn, Wind and Shoshone River basins, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) has
made a surprise decision to reduce critical flows on the Bighorn River even
further below a minimum presented to and accepted by Fish, Wildlife &
Parks (FWP) at a recent snow-pack assessment meeting. This reduction means
there will not be flows necessary to support a strong trout fishery on the
river this spring, which will cause both economic and ecological impacts in
the area. "This
reduction is simply not acceptable," said Montana Governor Brian
Schweitzer. "Montana has sacrificed flows for years to help create a
balance with interests upstream on the Bighorn Reservoir. Clearly BOR has
tipped the scales in favor of Wyoming interests, and is expecting Montanans
to pay the price. This is not over." Montana
Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), Gov. Schweitzer’s office, Sens. Baucus and
Testers’ offices, Rep. Rehberg’s office, Friends of the Bighorn River, Trout
Unlimited, the Crow Tribe and a number of Bighorn River outfitters and guides
have participated in meetings with BOR and Wyoming interests to reach a
compromise when it comes to flows. A final
flow proposal was presented by BOR on March 21 to these groups that called
for a flow of 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) starting
in May, near the beginning of the trout spawn. Though preferring 2,500 cfs
for better trout survival, FWP conceded to 2,000 cfs as a compromise with a
formal request to raise flows to 2,000 cfs immediately and retain them
through the end of July to increase trout survival. As previously presented
by BOR, this flow schedule would still facilitate water-storage levels high
enough to launch boats during the recreation season on Bighorn Reservoir. "There
is no doubt about it. Below flows of 2,000 cfs, we will see more negative
impacts on trout populations in the river. Below 2,000 cfs, there is an
accelerated loss of side channels critical for spawning and rearing. At 1,500
cfs, most important side channel habitat is completely gone. Along with that
goes young trout. Less habitat means fewer fish," said Jim Darling,
Fisheries Manager with Fish, Wildlife & Parks. "When low flows are
prolonged and protective side-channel habitat is lost, entire age classes of
fish can disappear." The final
decision released by BOR yesterday intends to restrict flows from Yellowtail Dam to 1,500 cfs through May, well after
the time fish first try to access side channels for spawning. They will then
increase releases in early June to 2,000 cfs and maintain 2,000 cfs through
October. They may consider increasing releases to 2,250 cfs for the
fall/winter period, which provides fewer biological benefits than increasing
spring flows. "Their
proposal undercuts not only their own proposals, but also the requests for
some sort of equity from Montana interests. Their decision does nothing to
protect the Bighorn River during critical spawning times, but rather only
ensures that motorboats can be launched at Wyoming's Horseshoe Bend on the
reservoir's south end starting in May and continuing all season. There seems
to be no balance in priorities there," said FWP Director, Jeff
Hagener. "It
is disappointing that Montana interests put so much effort into having a seat
at the table only to have all of our interests ignored in favor of floating
boats at all launches on Wyoming's end of the reservoir. This is an unwelcome
change from the open communication we have seen from the BOR in the
past," concluded Darling. For more
information on Bighorn River flows or the impacts flows have on trout
populations, please contact Jim Darling at 406-247-2961. ________________ Montana moose, sheep,
goat, elk auctions a success Montana
Fish, Wildlife and Parks Montana’s 2007 big game auction licenses drew a total
of $211,000 from events held by conservation groups this winter. _________________ No-wake zone proposed
at White Sandy on Hauser A public hearing on a proposal to add
a Hauser Lake recreation area to the lake’s no-wake rules will be held in
Helena on April 18. _________________ North Dakota paddlefish season opens May 1 North Dakota Game and Fish North Dakota’s paddlefish snagging
season opens May 1 and is scheduled to continue through the end of the month.
However, the season has closed early the last three seasons, leaving some
people left holding paddlefish tags without ever wetting a line in the
Yellowstone or Missouri rivers. That will change as an adjustment
to the two-year fishing proclamation will allow an option of
snag-and-release-only for up to seven days after the regular season closes,
or until May 31, whichever comes first. For several years, the North
Dakota Game and Fish Department and its counterpart in Montana have instituted
a harvest cap of 1,000 paddlefish in each state. Paddlefish snaggers in North
Dakota reached that overall harvest quota the past two years in about
mid-May. Because of the ongoing drought,
low flows in early May in the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers have
concentrated fish, making them more susceptible to snaggers the last few
years. As a result of the higher rate of harvest, the department had to close
the seasons early. Legal snagging hours are from 8
a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. One tag per snagger will be issued. The use or
possession of a gaff within one half mile in either direction of the Highway
200 bridge on the Yellowstone River is illegal at any time during the
snagging season. Snag-and-release of all paddlefish
will be required on Mondays and Tuesdays. Those planning to participate
during snag-and-release-only days will need to have in their possession a
current season, unused paddlefish snagging tag. Use or possession of gaffs is
prohibited on Mondays and Tuesdays, and, if it occurs, during the snag-and-release
extension period. During the other five days of the week, mandatory harvest
of all snagged paddlefish is required. Snagging is legal in all areas of
the Yellowstone River in North Dakota, and in the area of the Missouri River
lying west of the U.S. Highway 85 bridge to the Montana border, excluding
that portion from the pipeline crossing (river mile 1,577) downstream to the
upper end of the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Management Area (river mile 1,565).
If there is an extended snag-and-release period, only a limited area at the
confluence will be open to this extended season snagging opportunity. Cost of a paddlefish tag is $3 for
residents and $7.50 for nonresidents. _________________
Join Walleyes Forever – get a free cap! As part
of your $25 annual membership in Walleyes Forever, each member will receive
one, free WF logo cap. The membership
year runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.
If you'd
like to purchase additional WF logo caps, they'll be on sale for $8 each at
club meetings or from WF Treasurer Linda Granholm. To join
Walleyes Forever, go to www.walleyesforever.com/membership/membership.html. _________________ And, finally…….. Miles per
gallon According to an
e-mail I received – I have no proof whether this is true or not – a recent study
by Texas A&M University found that the average American walks about
900 miles per year. It said another
study by the American Beer Institute found that Americans drink an average of
22 gallons of beer per year. That means, on
average, Americans get approximately 41 miles per gallon. If the numbers are
right, that’s pretty darn good mileage.
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