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March 27, 2007
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Welcome
to the newsletter about all things water in Montana!
MONTANA
WATER NEWS will come your way via email every month
with fresh news about meetings and water topics that we hope
is of interest to you. If you do not want to receive this
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| Pallid
Sturgeon’s Last Stand |
The Pallid
Sturgeon: "The dinosaur of the Missouri" |
Some may call
the Pallid Sturgeon “America’s ugliest fish” and “the dinosaur of the Missouri.” However, this
endangered species has friends in the right places. Since the Pallid was added to the endangered
species list in 1991, a group of private and public interests have been working on a solution
to keep this long-lived Sturgeon from going extinct due to loss of habitat. Dams, irrigation
diversions, and entrainment have caused the number of Pallid Sturgeons to dwindle down to the
hundreds.
Since the Cretaceous period,
70 million years ago, this unique fish has wandered the Missouri drainage. Some individual
fish weigh over 70 lbs and stretch longer than five feet. These animals may live to be 60 years
old. The armored back and soft belly leave no room for scales, adding to the “dinosaur” look.
The Pallid is not suited for life within a river system controlled by dams and diversions.
It lives “endangered,” trapped between rough waters and a dam while politics and other interests
hashed out a solution on the Lower Yellowstone.
The Missouri
River system is one of the most reworked rivers on the continent. The Pallid Sturgeon is one
of the least adaptive species to fish ladders, mazes and diversions. Therefore, keeping the
non-jumping and long-swimming Pallid alive is a challenge for irrigators, biologists and politicians
to tackle together. The last two years have shown promise, and with the help of Congress, the
Pallid Sturgeon may get a solution tailored to its particular needs. The Army Corps of Engineers,
Bureau of Reclamation, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project
and the Nature Conservancy have all worked together on a “rock ramp” that is to be built the
width of the Yellowstone River. It will replace the diversion dam at Intake, downstream from
Glendive.
If the proposed “rock ramp”
decision makes it through an environmental analysis and receives its anticipated funding, the
ramp will allow for the spawning area of the Pallid to expand to over 230 miles on the Yellowstone
River’s main stem. This extension will allow larval sturgeon to complete a necessary two-week
float downstream before maturation, as well provide the room this giant fish needs to live.
This solution will benefit irrigators and fish alike. The century-old log crib and rock structure
will be replaced by the rock ramp, which will ensure the continuation of reliable irrigation
waters.
In addition to the Intake Diversion
project, other efforts by the partnership, such as improving fish passage on the Tongue River
and establishing Pallid habitat on the Powder River, add even more miles of habitat. In its
entirety, this impressive project would restore over 500 miles of Pallid Sturgeon habitat along
the Yellowstone and its tributaries.
While things look positive,
this situation is a waiting game and every day counts. With another spawning season on the
horizon, it’s another year for the Pallid Sturgeon to try to live in a depleted habitat. For
more information or to get involved, contact Burt Williams of The Nature Conservancy at burt_williams@tnc.org.
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| Volunteer Water Monitoring Project Needs Your Help |
Volunteers collecting monitoring
data on the
West Fork of the Gallatin River. |
Montana Watercourse plans to update
the Volunteer Water Monitoring Project website with an interactive map. Your help is critical
to its success! If you and other interested parties can take time to fill out a simple form,
the Watercourse will be able to compile information from all the volunteer organizations in
Montana that have collected water quality data on local waterways. When the survey is completed,
you'll be able to learn what others are doing, where monitoring is (and is not) happening,
and more! This request is for all schools, community groups and watershed organizations that
have collected or currently collect water quality data in their watersheds. To receive the
survey contact Ted Sedell of the Montana Watercourse at (406) 994-6317 or by email at edwin.sedell@montana.edu. |
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| Lynda
Saul Receives 2007
National Wetlands Awards |
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This year, six individuals from
across the country are recognized for their superb effort to make a difference in preserving
America’s wetlands. A board of water experts and decision makers has selected the chosen few
to receive the National Wetlands Awards for 2007. In the State, Tribal and Local Program development
category, Montana’s own Lynda Saul received the award. Her efforts to build the Montana Wetlands
Council, currently enrolling over 400 members, and to gather funds for wetlands protection
are two of her stellar accomplishments in 2006. Lynda has pursued wetlands legislation and
conservation for over 10 years. Congratulations Lynda!
For more information about the
awards and to see other recipients go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/about/awards.html.
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| Free
Wetlands
Training Sessions |
| The
Montana/Dakotas Riparian Training Cadre would like to invite any interested parties to attend
or organize free wetlands training sessions this summer. Their qualitative method for assessing
the condition of riparian areas, titled Proper Functioning Condition (PFC), allows attendees
to view how wetlands should look. According to the Cadre, PFC pertains to the process of assessment
and the condition of the riparian wetlands area. This training is beneficial to landowners,
ranchers, federal agency employees, and other friends of wetlands. No free training sessions
have been scheduled yet, but sign up fast to reserve your spot. For more information or to
sign up, contact Mike Philbin at mphilibin@blm.gov or (406) 896-5041, or visit the website
at: http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ecs/water/pfc.html. |
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| Schedule
Your Annual Well Checkup |
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In case you missed
Ground Water Awareness Week, March 11 - 17, The Montana Water Center would like to remind you
to think about a well checkup. A maintained well is a healthy well. Schedule your checkup today
by going to the National Ground Water Association website at: http://www.ngwa.org/awareness/awarefactsheet.cfm. |
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| Aerial
Photographer Capturing Floodplain Images |
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Chris Boyer is a Bozeman-based
aerial photographer who is very interested in capturing images of overbank flows associated
with runoff (e.g. flooding). The goal of his current project is to shoot images that demonstrate
runoff-related floodplain dynamics. Of particular interest is inundation of roads or existing
and proposed structures; inundation resulting from the backwater effect of bridges, culverts
or other obstructions; and high discharge in ephemeral channels.
Chris is requesting that anyone
who observes or predicts such an event alert him at any time with details about timing and
location. Contact Chris by phone at (406) 580-1946, or by email at kestrel@montana.net. The
distance he will travel to photograph such an event is directly proportional to the scale of
the event.
In return for an alert resulting
in good imagery, Chris will provide the tipster with one or more photographs of the event.
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| Missouri
River Association of States and Tribes |
| The
Missouri River Association of States and Tribes, a newly formed group that focuses on all the
Missouri River Basin, is looking for a founding executive director. The association is aiming
to serve as a group that will incorporate all aspects of the Missouri River’s ecosystem and
its inhabitants toward a common goal of river conservation. The executive director will serves
as representative for the association with federal agencies, tribes, and a variety of basin
stakeholders. Other duties include traveling, writing newsletters, and developing and pursuing
legislation.
To
find out more about this great opportunity contact: John L. Cooper, Chairman, Missouri River
Association of States & Tribes, 523 East Capitol, Pierre, South Dakota 57501 or john.cooper@state.sd.us.
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| Volunteer
Water Monitoring Guidebook Available |
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With support from the Montana Department
of Environmental Quality mini-grant program, a reprint of the highly popular Volunteer
Water Monitoring Guidebook from Montana Watercourse is available. A practical watershed education
and stewardship tool, the guidebook covers basic water and watershed science, water monitoring
design and methods, and data management and analysis.
The Montana Watercourse Volunteer
Monitoring Program began in 1997 and has since provided water monitoring education and training
for hundreds of volunteers statewide. The program helps Montana citizens gain the skills needed
to gather accurate water quality information in local watersheds. The program is supported
through grants from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection
Agency. To receive water quality monitoring training or request a copy of the guidebook, please
contact the Montana Watercourse at (406) 994-6671 or visit their website at http://www.mtwatercourse.org.
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| Do
you have more news?
Many
Montana Water News articles are generated by the Montana Water
Center’s new student intern, Evan Tennant. Evan is studying
public policy at Montana State University with a special interest
in water policy. He spends what free time he has writing stories
for this e-newsletter. Do you have some stories of interest
you would like him to feature? If so, please contact Evan at
etennant@montana.edu.
He’d like to hear from you. |
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Take
special note of upcoming national and local water meetings
on the Events
Calendar at MONTANA WATER. |
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8th Annual Association of Montana Floodplain Managers (AMFM) Conference,
Bozeman, April 2 - 5, 2007 [INFO]
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GIS/GPS Seminar for Water Districts,
Missoula, April 26, 2007 [INFO]
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2007 Water Summit for Teachers and Students,
Dupuyer, May 7 - 8, 2007 [INFO]
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Design Your Monitoring Plan & Data Management Workshop,
Dupuyer, May 9, 2007 [INFO]
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Managing Water Infrastructure for Montana's Future,
Butte, May 9 - 11, 2007 [INFO]
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Dam Safety in the West,
Omaha, NE, May 20 - 22, 2007 [INFO]
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