The Friends of the Bighorn River feel some light needs to be shed on a number of half-truths published in a guest opinion  in the September 30 Billings Gazette authored by Commissioner Keith Grant and Representative Elaine Harvey from Lovell, Wyoming. While FOBR has the utmost respect for these individuals and their dedication to their constituents, the opinion shows little knowledge of the river fishery, its users and its economy. Further, because of the relentless silt accumulation, the Horseshoe Bend area of the lake has been dying a slow death, which has been accelerated by the recent drought. A 1996 Park Service study effectively recommends the abandonment of the Horseshoe Bend boat launch, and FOBR concurs with that recommendation. If allowed to continue, higher and higher lake levels will be required to allow flat water recreation at that end of the lake, and river users will continue to suffer. In light of the impossibility of finding a timely solution to the troubles at Horseshoe Bend, FOBR feels its time to call on the Park Service to cut their losses and abandon Horseshoe Bend.

Let’s look at some of the statements expressed in the opinion (in italics), and clear up a few things:

2,000 trout per mile is only a preliminary estimate

Indeed, it is a preliminary estimate. However, the biologist making the estimate has been making those estimates for 19 years. If the final numbers fluctuate much from the estimates, we’ll be surprised. FOBR has many, many friends who are guides and outfitters providing fishing report who confirm these numbers on a daily basis.

Many times during the past 20 years, the fish population has risen and fallen with a variety of flow conditions that are far below the Friends of Bighorn River "preferred minimum."

Fish populations consistently fell during continued low flows. Only good water years like 2005 produced good year classes of brown and rainbow trout that rescued the population from further decline. In fact, numbers have declined steadily since 2005, and will continue to decline unless additional flows are provided.

A healthy fishery can be sustained with flows of 1,500cfs

Here’s a good example of a half-truth. Note the word they used was sustained, not maintained. Yes, a healthy fishery can exist for a short period at 1,500cfs, but not for the long run. One year of low flows has already shown us that an entire age class of fish will be lost, many effects of which are not seen until the following year. Mysteriously, a Wyoming Fish and Game biologist who had worked closely with Montana FWP for years and who recognized how important flows were to the river, was recently reassigned and replaced with a biologist who now supports the opinions of Comm. Grant and Rep. Harvey.

Continued riverbed down-cutting will ultimately cause the abandonment of these side channels with even the most optimistic flows.

We’re heartened to know that Wyoming apparently has already employed a hydrogeologist who has determined the likely future of the Bighorn side channels. Perhaps  BOR's current study of the system is redundant. If so, at least any downcutting is proceeding at an exponentially slower rate than the silt deposition at Horseshoe Bend, which is become about one foot shallower each year and causing the few boaters that use that facility to cry for more and more water every year.

It is important to realize that young trout in the main channel continue to provide contributions to a healthy fishery

If it wasn’t so sad, this statement is almost funny. The young fish do provide a contribution to the fishery in that they wind up in the bellies of the larger fish because there’s no side channel habitat for them to rear and hide in.

Several thousand fishable trout per mile is similar or far superior to many other notable Montana river fisheries

The Commissioner and Representative are suggesting we should be satisfied with much less than a blue ribbon trout stream while lake users have all the water, which was the case this spring, summer and fall and projected until April of 2008. To be honest, we'd be a lot more agreeable to this compromise if we weren't constantly fighting off requests from Lovell for 1,000cfs. The mood here is this: The day we settle for anything less than 2,500cfs will be the day you can rent dune buggies at Horseshoe Bend.

Why is an artificial river fishery more important than a national recreation area?

…or an artificial lake?

Please don't diminish or marginalize those folks that can't afford [to fish the Bighorn River]

Comm. Grant and Rep. Harvey demonstrate their ignorance of the river users and economic impacts by stating the Bighorn River exists to serve only the rich. A picture accompanying their opinion shows a sailboat, and speed boat and high-end ski boat near Horseshoe Bend, and roughly 5 people enjoying a day on the water. We’d estimate the value of the equipment in the picture to be in the neighborhood of $100,000. How Grant and Harvey can reason that lake recreation is suited for poor folk in beyond our comprehension! Oh, by the way, the guy driving the high-end ski boat is the son of Keith Grant, and owns the boat dealership in Lovell.  Link to Image

Our public lands and water shouldn't be managed mostly for the wealthy

Apparently, Comm. Grant and Rep. Harvey haven’t witnessed the almost daily occurrence of Crow families fishing for supper or fun along the banks of the Bighorn River. FOBR recommends they rent a driftboat ($100/day and includes shuttle), put in at the Afterbay, and float down to the Suck Hole and drop anchor. Take a camera. You’ll get a clear picture of real family values. Continue on down the river, and you’ll meet plenty of folks who’s livelihoods depend on a healthy fishery, and who in their wildest dreams, could never afford a speed boat, sailboat, or ski boat.

It is shortsighted because you'll run out of water in short order

This is what reservoirs do. They store water in periods of moisture, and release it when needed. Take a look at the other reservoirs in Wyoming, or other states for that matter. None, repeat none, that are experiencing drought conditions have lake levels anywhere near lake levels at Yellowtail. Why aren’t those lake users complaining?

Using the value of fisheries as a reason to diminish Wyoming water rights is dangerous ground

Holding back water to support an unpopular, under used boat launch that will become obsolete in a few years is lunacy. Doesn’t it make sense to provide water to those who use it?

Does Montana want to set a precedent to allow for downstream states to take upstream water due to economics?

Um… Folks, please. Do your homework. Google Ft. Peck reservoir. Use the keywords:  “Ft. Peck”  drought  barge

At Horseshoe Bend this summer, there were lots of folks of all income levels sharing fishing, the spectacular vistas, boating, wakeboarding and swimming in Bighorn Lake.

FOBR doubts we’ll ever see estimates more specific than "lots of folks" using Horseshoe Bend, because the comparison with Bighorn River anglers would be too embarrassing. Another interesting statistic would be the relative use of this ramp with Barry's Landing and Ok-a-Beh. The latter two have far more visitors, and they function well down to lake levels of 3,580 ft or 35 ft lower than Horseshoe Bend requires.

It is insulting to our National Park Systems' 300 million owners

Again, do your homework. The boat launches and fishing access sites at Afterbay and Three Mile are part of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area!  Further, FOBR would wager that more “owners” use these two access sites on the river annually than all other points on the lake combined.  FOBR would further wager that just about any day of the year will have more “owners” using the Bighorn River than any week on the lake. Heck, we’d even bet that more fly fisherman would water ski or wakeboard, if they could just afford to!

Now is the time to address the long-term needs of both the Bighorn Canyon National Park and the Bighorn River.

On this we agree. Horseshoe Bend is on life support. Unless a silt mitigation solution is found and implemented in the next year or two and the existing minimum boat launch level lowered, its time to pull the plug. Lower releases mean less power generation. Higher sustained lake levels threaten effective flood mitigation. Horseshoe Bend is a threat to not only the projects BOR is authorized to manage for, but also its ancillary benefits.