by Merle Ann Loman | Apr 2, 2009 | Blackfoot, Clark Fork, i Spring
Contact: Vivaca Crowser, Information Officer
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
(406) 542-5518,
vcrowser@mt.gov,
Website: fwp.mt.gov/r2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2, 2009
River Closures Remain Around Milltown
Small sections of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers near the site of the old Milltown Dam remain closed to fishing, boating and other recreation.
Although the dam has been removed, construction work continues and river conditions are unstable. Riverbed levels are expected to drop this spring as the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers work to reclaim a natural channel, exposing wood and other debris that could create hazards to recreationists.
The Clark Fork River is closed from about one-half mile below the old Milltown Dam site (at the railroad bridge) to three miles upstream from the bridge. Turah Fishing Access Site (FAS) is the last public take-out for floaters upstream from the closure area, and Sha-Ron FAS, is the first public access below the closed zone. Sha-Ron may be unusable this spring because of sediment deposition at the ramp. This sediment is expected to erode during high flows.
On the Blackfoot, the closure covers a stretch of about 1.5 miles upstream from the river’s confluence with the Clark Fork. Floaters must take out at Weigh Station FAS. All closed areas are signed.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) expects the public safety closures will remain in effect for at least one more year. FWP will continue to monitor river conditions and construction activities and will lift closures as soon as conditions stabilize.
For additional information on the closed areas, contact the Missoula FWP office at (406) 542-5500. -fwp-
by Merle Ann Loman | Jan 21, 2009 | Clark Fork
Join us to hear updates on the Milltown Dam Removal and River Restoration project. Speakers include David Schmetterling, FWP; Russ Forba, EPA; and Doug Martin, NRDP.
UPDATE ON:
Timeline for remaining cleanup
Upcoming river restoration
Fisheries health
After plugging the Clark Fork-Blackfoor confluence for 100 years, the dam is a part of history.
Milltown Cleanup Update for Guides
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 5:30-7:30PM, the Clark Fork Coalition and Montana Trout Unlimited will co-host Guiding Without the Dam, an update for guides on the Milltown cleanup project, at the Coalition offices at 140 S. 4th St. W. Free pizza and beer will be served.
Please RSVP to info@clarkfork.org or 406-542-0539.
Clark Fork Coalition
Montana Trout Unlimited
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 11, 2008 | Clark Fork
Missoula, Montana – article from eCurrents of the Clark Fork Coalition
Beyond the breach: A guide to Milltown down
The Milltown dam is officially history this fall as the last of the spillway is removed. But how has the river fared during this massive construction project? At the Clark Fork Coalition, we’re dedicated to bringing you the facts about what’s going on at the former Milltown Dam site as well as downstream throughout the Clark Fork basin. We’ve started a new online resource page for the public to use, summarizing data from the breach and beyond on fisheries, water quality, groundwater levels, and sediment in the river. The pages are under construction, and we’ll update as new information becomes available.
For a full presentation of the impacts and benefits of the breach, plan to attend the upcoming public meeting on the Milltown cleanup on Tuesday, Oct. 14, in Bonner. EPA, state, and local officials will be on the bluff south of the Clark Fork overlooking the project starting at 4:00 PM to answer questions and point out the work to-date. At 6:30 PM, the meeting will reconvene in the Bonner Elementary School gymnasium.
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 8, 2008 | Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, iii Fall, Take Your Kids Fishing
September is an amazing time to fish western Montana. The weather is cooler, the fish are feeding and variety is the spice of life. Boyce Tollison and his sons, Mike and Tim fished with Wapiti Waters for three days in September. Jack Mauer and Dave Heimes guided them on three rivers. I want to post a few photos, one of Boyce’s trout from the Bitterroot River and then Mike and his trout from the Clark Fork. Next, see a slide show with photos of Boyce, Tim and Mike. Thanks for coming guys, Jack and Dave had a great time with you!
I am posting a slide show of all the photos. Click on the slideshow or “View Album” link below to see them or download them.
by Merle Ann Loman | Aug 5, 2008 | Clark Fork, Conservation/benefits/organizations, ii Summer
Jack hasn’t been with clients the last few days. He is working on a video project with Trout Unlimited. It has been really hot on the Clark Fork and it made me think about the trout trying to surive in the summer water temperatures. We, at Wapiti Waters, are concerned, especially in the Bitterroot as the flows get lower and lower. Clark Fork Coalition has great information at their website. It includes what we can do, even in our homes, to help. See an excerpt below and visit their website at http://www.clarkfork.org/.
Click here for a free download of their new report, “Low Flows, Hot Trout: Climate Change in the Clark Fork Watershed.” Or, order a hard copy online through the River Store for only $5.
Clark Fork Coaliton text:
We hear about climate change on a daily basis — but it’s often from a global, overarching, far-from-home perspective. So what does it all mean for the Clark Fork basin? This report explores what the future holds for inhabitants of this 22,000-square-mile area and the waterways that define its landscape, culture, and economy.
“Low Flows, Hot Trout” delivers a plain-language synthesis of key findings from years of data-gathering in our watershed blended with anecdotal observations from river basin citizens. We gathered perspectives from realtor to rancher, fishing guide to firefighter. Our report is accessible to the public, informative to those whose livelihoods are directly tied to the river, and illuminating to policymakers looking for effective responses. The bottom line is: things can be done in the face of climate change, and everyone can make a difference– from simple at-home fixes that improve energy and water use to large-scale policy changes that stimulate renewable energy production and river-sensitive growth management. This report gives a snapshot of what we can do to protect our hometown creeks, our local economies, and our celebrated way of life in the
changing climate of the Clark Fork watershed.
We hope “Low Flows, Hot Trout,” will also spark discussion at the upcoming Headwaters Summit: “Re-visioning How We Use Water in the Changing Climate of the Northern Rockies,” sponsored by the Clark Fork Coalition, National Wildlife Federation, and Western Progress. The Summit will be held September 15-17 at the University of Montana, beginning with a keynote address by David James Duncan at 7 PM on September 15th in the University Theater.
If you’d like to schedule an in-person presentation of the report and its findings for your group, please contact Brianna Randall at brianna@clarkfork.org.
Montana Trout Unlimited also has a NEW! Global Warming Report.
As long as we are talking about the Clark Fork River, Milltown Dam has been removed and here is a site serving as a public information resource on the remediation, restoration and redevelopment of the Milltown Reservoir Sediments and Clark Fork River Superfund site.
Clark Fork River Technical Assistance Committee
(C-F-R-TAC).
Safety Reminder
DURING THE MILLTOWN CLEANUP, THE CLARK FORK AND BLACKFOOT RIVERS ARE CLOSED TO RIVER RECREATION ABOVE AND BELOW THE PROJECT AREA.
- Clark Fork River users must exit the river at Turah Fishing Access;
- Blackfoot River users must exit at Weigh Station.
VIOLATORS and TRESPASSERS WILL BE FINED. For more information, contact Montana FWP at 542-5500.
Contact: Vivaca Crowser, Information Officer
