September 6, 2007

-For Immediate Release-

Contact Barrett Kaiser (406) 670-0541

BAUCUS WANTS HIGHER FALL FLOWS IN BIGHORN RIVER

Senator Says Flow Increase Critical To Brown Trout Spawn

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - As the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation prepares its fall operating plan for Yellowtail Dam near Fort Smith, Montana Senator Max Baucus is asking the agency to bump flows on the Bighorn River to help spawning brown trout.

In a letter to Dan Jewell, the BOR's area director, Baucus made a strong case for increased flows in October to help brown trout populations, which have decreased from 9,000 per mile in 1997 to around 2,000 today.

Baucus' request is the latest development in a dispute that has pitted recreation interests in Wyoming against Montana fishermen and women, outfitters, and small business owners who say the Bighorn River generates more than $30 million per year in economic activity. Wyoming wants more water held in Bighorn Lake, while Montana wants more water released into the river.

Baucus today asked Jewell to increase flows in October to 2,500 CFS, which would provide critical side channel habitat for spawning trout.

"As we approach fall, I strongly urge the Bureau of Reclamation to address the needs of the Bighorn River fishery and step up stream flows in support of the fall trout spawns," wrote Baucus, Montana's senior U.S. Senator. He said increasing Yellowtail Dam releases to 2,500 cfs will "ensure that the Bighorn River fishery is not deprived of an entire age-class of trout."
Baucus was pointed in his assessment of the current situation, noting Bighorn Lake levels, as of September 3, were 31.7 feet higher than on the same date in 2006. He said the water level was 50.2 feet above the minimum for boat launches at Barry's Landing and Ok-A-Beh in Montana, and 15.2 feet above the minimum at Horseshoe Bend in Wyoming.

"Outflows from Yellowtail Dam should not be held artificially low during the critical fall spawning months when the end result will be a boat-able lake level in the freezing winter months," Baucus argued.

At the urging of Baucus, Montana's elected leaders, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and river advocates, the BOR increased flows in the river this summer from 1,500 cubic feet per second to 1,750 CFS. It was a small but important victory for the river, but the fall months will prove pivotal in fisheries biologists' efforts to protect brown trout numbers in the river.

While he's pushing the agency for increased flows, Baucus is also working to pass his Bighorn River Protection Act, which would set preferred minimum flows at 2,500 cubic feet per second, require the agency to manage all four BOR reservoirs in the Bighorn watershed together, and list "maintaining a healthy fishery" as one of Yellowtail Dam's authorized uses. (Currently, the dam is authorized only for flood control and power generation.)

Baucus' letter to Jewell is attached.
September 5 , 2007

Mr. Dan Jewell
Area Manager
Bureau of Reclamation
U.S. Department of the Interior
PO Box 30137
Billings , Montana 59107-0137

Dear Dan:
I am writing you today to again advocate for increasing stream flows on the Bighorn River below Yellowtail Dam. As we have discussed, it is imperative that flows be increased to 2,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) for the fall spawning season for brown trout. As we approach fall, I strongly urge the Bureau of Reclamation to address the needs of the Bighorn River fishery and step up stream flows in support of the fall trout spawns.

According to wildlife biologists, the lowest flow to maintain healthy spawning and rearing habitat for the Bighorn River trout fishery is 2,500 cfs. The absolute minimum for fishery maintenance is 2,000 cfs. So far this year, stream flows have been held far below that, at 1,500 cfs and 1,750 cfs. These levels are inadequate for a healthy brown trout spawn. The number of brown trout per mile has dropped from 9,000 in 1997 to around 2,000 today. This drop in brown trout numbers correlates directly to a drop in flows on the river from 4,000 cfs in 1997 to 1,750 cfs today. Increasing Yellowtail Dam releases to 2,500 cfs will ensure that the Bighorn River fishery is not deprived of an entire age-class of trout.

Bighorn Lake levels, as of September 3 rd , were 31.7 feet higher than on the same date in 2006. The water level was 50.2 feet above the minimum level for boat launches at Barry's Landing and Ok-A-Beh, and 15.2 feet above the minimum at Horseshoe Bend. According to an August 8, 2007, Bureau of Reclamation estimate, the "most probable" lake elevation will be no less than 3620 feet from September 2007 to March 2008. That is 5 feet above the minimum for boat launches at Horseshoe Bend, and 40 feet above the minimum at Barry's Landing and Ok-A-Beh, in the middle of winter. Outflows from Yellowtail Dam should not be held artificially low during the critical fall spawning months when the end result will be a boat-able lake level in the freezing winter months.

As I emphasized in meetings this spring and summer, the Bighorn River is a valuable resource for Montanans and tourists who take advantage of the waters for recreating and fishing. 70,000 to 90,000 angler days are spent on the river annually. Montana 's Main Streets welcome folks from around the globe who come to enjoy the tremendous fishing and beautiful scenery. Fishing on the river contributes $30 million dollars per year to the local economy, much of that going to family businesses. I hope that, by working together to increase the flows this fall, we can manage the river system for the best possible conservation and economic benefit.

Montanans treasure the Bighorn River and take great pride in its status as one of the nation's premier fishing destinations. We take our kids fishing and floating. We admire the pristine scenery and abundant wildlife. Managing the stream flows to protect the fishery during the spawning season will help ensure the continued health of the river for all to enjoy.
I look forward to a prompt reply to this request for increased fall stream flows. This is an issue of great importance to many Montanans. Please feel free to contact me or my staff if we can assist in bringing this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

With best personal regards, I am
Sincerely,
Max Baucus

Billings Gazette Article

(Washington, D.C.) - Montana's senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus today applauded the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for agreeing to increase flows on the Bighorn River. Baucus said today that BOR area manager Dan Jewell confirmed that the agency will increase flows from 1,500 cubic feet per second to 1,750 cfs starting late in the day on June 15. "I'm pleased the BOR has recognized the importance of the Bighorn River to Montana's economy," Baucus said. "This flow level strikes a more equitable compromise between water users in Wyoming and Montana. It's not exactly what we wanted, but it shows progress and gives hope to Montana sportsmen and women, small businesses and our state's economy."

Baucus has been an outspoken critic of the BOR's management of Yellowtail Dam. He's led the charge to increase flows in the river, along with Senator Jon Tester, Governor Brian Schweitzer, and Congressman Denny Rehberg. Baucus also praised the work of interested groups including Friends of the Bighorn River, Montana Trout Unlimited and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Doug Haacke, one of the organizers of the Friends of the Bighorn River (FOBR), a grassroots effort formed to protect the Bighorn, said "While the increase of 250 cubic feet per second is modest, and still well below the desired minimums, FOBR realizes we're not out of the drought cycle yet. However, a fishery is only as healthy as its water supply, and any increase is good thing at this point, especially since we've been maintaining absolute minimum flows for a year."

Haacke praised Montana Senator Max Baucus for his steadfast efforts in protecting the river and its vibrant economy. "Max has been essential in carrying the message that we've suffered during the drought just like other water users, and that we're just looking for equity amongst the water recreation stakeholders," Haacke said.

While praising the BOR's efforts, Baucus urged officials to consider increasing flows even more if weather conditions and water levels allow.

Following multiple years of drought, Wyo. and Mont. have been at odds over water levels in Bighorn Lake and the Bighorn River.

(Washington, D.C.) --Continuing his effort to protect a $30-million-a-year asset and world-class trout stream, Montana Senator Max Baucus today blasted the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for refusing to raise flow levels in the Bighorn River despite record amounts of moister in the area.

“Despite good-faith efforts to work together, the Bureau of Reclamation continues to ignore Montana’s interests, imperiling our economy and our outdoor heritage,” Baucus wrote today to Dan Jewell, the Bureau’s area manager. “It appears as though you have bowed to pressure by a small but vocal group of recreationists in Wyoming at the expense of a major economic driver on the Montana side of the border.”

Although the basin recently saw large amounts of snow and rain, the BOR, in a June 8 press release, said it will keep Bighorn River flows at the dangerously low level of 1,500 cubic feet per second. Fisheries biologists say that flow level hurts fish numbers.

Baucus called the BOR decision “absurd and unfair” and said the flow plan is a “slap in the face to Montanans who have already given enough.”

Baucus’ move is the latest twist in a dispute that has pitted interests in Wyoming against Montana fishermen and women, outfitters, and small business owners.

Baucus said the BOR should use recent precipitation as an opportunity to revisit its flow schedule. He noted that during the last month, inflows to Bighorn Lake have reached as high as 9000 CFS and that lake levels are currently two feet higher than what BOR had forecast.

“Yet flows from Yellowtail Dam have not increased,” Baucus wrote. “The benefits of increased precipitation should not stop at the Wyoming border.”

Montana’s other U.S. Senator, Jon Tester, also blasted the BOR’s plan today.

“The Bighorn isn’t just about water. It’s about life in Eastern Montana,” Tester said. “The Bighorn River sustains life for Montana agriculture, and it breathes life into the communities it flows through. I strongly urge the Bureau of Reclamation to consider the lives, businesses and recreational interests downstream when making decisions upstream.”

Baucus said that if the Bureau does not increase river flows to at least 2,000 CFS soon, “this blue-ribbon trout stream and economic lifeline for Southeast Montana could be deprived of an entire age class of trout.”

Baucus Letter to Dan Jewell

Mr. Dan Jewell
Area Manager Bureau of Reclamation
U.S. Department of the Interior
PO Box 30137
Billings, Montana 59107-0137

Dear Dan:

With great disappointment, I am writing you about the Bureau of Reclamation’s June 11th announcement regarding the water release plan for Yellowtail Dam. Despite good-faith efforts to work together, the Bureau of Reclamation continues to ignore Montana’s interests, imperiling our economy and our outdoor heritage. It appears as though you have bowed to pressure by a small but vocal group of recreationists in Wyoming at the expense of a major economic driver on the Montana side of the border. Given the recent precipitation across the drainage, I urge you in the strongest possible terms to revisit the June flow schedule, and increase stream flows below the dam.

I have spoken out many times, emphasizing the importance of the Bighorn River to Montanans. Every year, 70,000 to 90,000 angler days are spent on the Bighorn River. This river is critical to the agricultural and outdoors heritage that Montanans enjoy. Farmers and ranchers rely on the river for irrigation. Montanans hunt and fish along the river, and take their kids floating and camping. Montana’s Main Streets welcome folks who come from all around to fish and admire the tremendous scenery.

Montanans have yet to see a common sense solution to Bighorn River water management concerns. According to wildlife biologists, the lowest flow to maintain healthy spawning and rearing habitat for the Bighorn River trout fishery is 2,500 cubic feet per second (cfs). The absolute minimum for fishery maintenance is 2,000 cfs. Under those standards, the Bureau of Reclamation plan to continue to limit flows to 1,500 cfs is unacceptable. This flow plan is a slap in the face to Montanans who have already given enough.

The Bureau of Reclamation should use recent precipitation as an opportunity to revisit a flow schedule that does not pass the smell test. During the last month, inflows to Bighorn Lake have reached as high as 9000 cfs. By the Bureau’s own admission, lake levels are two feet higher than what BOR had forecast. Yet flows from Yellowtail Dam have not increased. Your most recent flow schedule, announced June 11, is absurd and unfair given the recent precipitation in the area. The benefits of increased precipitation should not stop at the Wyoming border.

If the Bureau does not increase the flows to at least 2,000 cfs soon, this blue-ribbon trout stream and economic lifeline for Southeast Montana could be deprived of an entire age class of trout. Fishing on the Bighorn River is a $30 million a year industry. I expect the Bureau of Reclamation to outline a binding plan for providing adequate flows to protect this valuable resource.

The Bighorn River is one of our nation’s premier fisheries, and is treasured by many Montanans. To date, the Bureau of Reclamation has squandered an opportunity to share the benefits of recent precipitation. By any economic metric, the Bighorn River fishery is one of the area’s most valuable resources. I look forward to your proposal for increasing flows on the Bighorn River as soon as possible.

With best personal regards, I am

Sincerely,
Max Baucus

(Washington, D.C.) – All four of Montana’s top elected officials united today in opposition to a plan that will reduce flows and hurt trout numbers on the Bighorn River.

Sen. Max Baucus spearheaded a letter signed by Sen. Jon Tester, Rep. Denny Rehberg and Governor Schweitzer to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Robert Johnson.

For the first time, the four leaders united in opposition to a flow schedule announced April 9 by BOR officials that they say could eliminate an entire age class of fish in the river below Yellowtail Dam.

“We are particularly frustrated by the Bureau’s lack of accountability to the public,” Baucus, Tester, Rehberg, and Schweitzer wrote, calling the move “a wholesale disregard for traditional federal agency-state channels of communication.”

The Montana officials are taking issue with the BOR for reversing a decision announced during a public meeting in Billings on March 21 that would have bumped flows in the river to 2,000 cubic feet per second in May, during the critical rainbow trout spawn.

On April 9, BOR officials reversed the March decision and said they will keep a flow level of 1,500 cfs until June.

The Delegation and Governor said the new flow plan will “result in dry side channels and the absence of an entire age class of wild trout on one of the nation's premier trout streams.”

The leaders also said the April 9 decision came “as a complete surprise.”

“In the three weeks since the BOR presentation in March, the only new development has been the unexpected but welcome and significant amount of precipitation in the basin,” the Montana leaders wrote. “We expect the courtesy of being alerted to these reversals in management direction.”

In addition to hurting fish numbers in the river, the Montana leaders said the decision could level a blow to the local economy as well.

“In addition to unacceptable impacts to the fishery, this action, if uncorrected, will have a devastating effect on the local economy,” the leaders wrote. “The 70,000 to 90,000 angler days on the Bighorn River make it one of the most valuable trout fisheries in the country. These facts make the BOR decision inexplicable.”

“We do not accept the latest decision by the Bureau of Reclamation on Bighorn River stream flows as final,” the letter concluded. “We urge you to work with us in revisiting the Bureau’s flow schedule, and finding a better solution.”

---

Please read the letter sent to Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Robert Johnson.   The letter was signed by Senator Max Baucus, Senator Jon Tester, Governor Brian Schweitzer, and Congressman Denny Rehberg.

One guy that's truly a friend of the Bighorn River is Montana Senator Max Baucus. Senator Baucus recognizes reduced flows on the Bighorn would devastate the internationally famous, blue ribbon trout stream and seriously affect jobs and the economy in the area. He's encouraging interested parties to develop a common-sense plan that helps recreation in both states.      Senator Baucus weighed in heavily on this issue right from the beginning. His efforts have gone a long way towards securing the immediate and long term future of the Bighorn fishery, and for that, the Friends of the Bighorn River owe him a debt of thanks.      Max, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support, and for working so hard for Montana! Why not call or write Max and thank him yourself? Contact Max

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Continuing his effort to protect a $30-million-a-year asset and world-class trout stream, Montana Senator Max Baucus today urged the chief of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to protect fish numbers in the Bighorn River by providing adequate flows out of Yellowtail Dam this summer.

Baucus today sat down with BOR Commissioner Robert Johnson and Deputy Commissioner Brenda Burman. He urged the top officials to back away from a proposal that he says would severely hurt fish populations in the river. The agency plans to set flows at 1,500 cubic feet per second through the summer. Fisheries biologists say that flow level would be devastating to fish numbers because low-water levels don’t provide spawning and rearing habitat in side channels.

Baucus also asked Johnson to fast-track an equipment upgrade below the Dam, so officials can more accurately gauge the amount of water being released into the river.

Today’s meeting in Baucus’ Washington, D.C., office comes on the heels of a bill Baucus introduced in the U.S. Senate that would set preferred minimum flows at 2,500 cubic feet per second, require the agency to manage all four BOR reservoirs in the Bighorn watershed together, and list “maintaining a healthy fishery” as one of Yellowtail Dam’s authorized uses. (Currently, the dam is authorized only for flood control and power generation.)

Multiple years of drought have pitted recreation interests in Wyoming against Montana fishermen and women, outfitters, and small business owners who say the Bighorn River generates more than $30 million per year in economic activity.

Baucus, chairman of the powerful U.S. Senate Finance Committee, said today his fight to protect the Bighorn is “mutli-pronged,” noting he’s pushing his legislation while working with officials and local leaders on both sides of the border to resolve the dispute “any way we can.”

“I’m committed to working together with everyone, including our friends and neighbors in Wyoming, to resolve this conflict,” Baucus said. “But, at the end of the day, Montana will not let the Bighorn River be dewatered. That’s priority number 1.”

January 16, 2007 (WASHINGTON, D.C.) –– Montana Senator Max Baucus today stepped up his efforts to protect the Bighorn River by introducing legislation that would block officials from further lowering flows out of Yellowtail Dam.

Baucus’ bill comes on the heels of a standing-room-only meeting he held Sunday in Billings, where more than 100 anglers and local business owners crowded into a conference room to hear the senior U.S. senator tell officials that current plans to reduce flows are unacceptable.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which controls flows on the Bighorn River, plans to set flows at 1,500 cubic feet per second. Fisheries biologists say that flow level would be devastating to fish numbers. Baucus doesn’t want flows to go below 2,500 cfs, a minimum flow to maintain a healthy fishery.

“The Bighorn is a lifeline for southeast Montana,” Baucus said. “This river is internationally known as one of the best trout streams on the globe. We will not stand by and let it be dewatered. Montana has given enough.”

Baucus said maintaining adequate flows in the Bighorn River “speaks to the soul and pads the wallet,” noting fishing on the river generates more than $30 million in economic activity every year.

The Bighorn River Protection Act would do four things, Baucus said.

1) Sets preferred minimum flows at 2,500 cubic feet per second (cfs).

2) Sets absolute (only to be used in extreme situations) minimum of 1,500 cfs

3) States that one of the purposes of the Yellowtail dam project is for the maintenance of a healthy fishery on the Bighorn River. (Currently, the dam is authorized only for flood control and power generation.)

4) Requires the BOR to coordinate management of all four BOR reservoirs in the Bighorn watershed.

Baucus is chairman of the powerful U.S. Senate Finance Committee.

Montana’s other U.S. Senator, Jon Tester, signed on today as a cosponsor of Baucus’ legislation.

For comments from the Wyoming Delegation, please read the Billings Gazette Article.  Wyoming's delegation assails plan for Bighorn flow

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Sunday he will introduce legislation setting minimum flows on the Bighorn River, one of the most popular fisheries in the state. The move sets the stage for the next chapter in the ongoing dispute between Montana and Wyoming over how much water should be available for irrigation and recreation on Bighorn Lake and fishing on the river. The legislation, expected to be introduced when Congress reconvenes Tuesday, would establish 2,500 cubic feet of water per second as the minimum flow on the river below Yellowtail Dam and an absolute minimum of 1,500 cfs in drought years. Baucus also wants the entire Bighorn water system to be managed as a unit and for Wyoming to be more "creative" in using its portion.

Read the complete Billings Gazette article Here

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- Senator Max Baucus came out swinging today against the Bureau of Reclamations' 2006-2007 proposed plan for the Bighorn River flows, saying the plan could devastate the river.

Baucus said that the plan included several unacceptable provisions, including one that would allow river flows to be dropped below the dangerous levels of 1,500cfs in drought years.

"This is completely unacceptable, we have been good neighbors to Wyoming, but lowering the river to these levels would not only ruin the fishing, but the economies who rely on the dollars the river brings in," Baucus said.

Baucus also blasted the plans provision that would stop the annual spring release. In drought years, the Bureau of Reclamation has proposed stopping the spring release which would devastate the fisheries on the river.

"We are an outdoor state, we hunt, we fish, we take our kids hiking. If these atrocious plans go through, then one of our greatest outdoor areas will be destroyed, and I will fight tooth and nail to make sure this doesn't happen" Baucus said.

Baucus has taken the lead on defending the Bighorn River. In September he wrote a strongly worded letter to Dan Jewell, the Bureau of Reclamation's Montana Director urging him to oppose the lower flows. Baucus is introducing legislation that will keep river flows at least 1500cfs.

Baucus said although the Bighorn is known across the world as a premiere fishing destination, consecutive years of drought have caused fish numbers in the river to drop sharply -- from an all-time high of 11,000 fish per mile. He said in 1998 the river sustained more than 8,000 brown trout per mile, but as of 2003 that number had dropped to about 500.