and the spawning redds are difficult to detect. Cutthroat trout are becoming more abundant in 

 the upper Bitterroot River due, perhaps, to more restrictive fishing regulations and Tin Cup 

 Creek may become more important for cutthroat spawning in the future. More information is 

 needed to reach conclusions on the value of this lease to cutthroat trout. 



8. Cottonwood Creek . The water rights conversion on this stream was first implemented in 

 1997. Monitoring is done by the local fisheries biologists. Salvaged water obtained by ditch 

 lining on the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area is left in the stream to improve 

 flows below a major irrigation diversion on the creek. Seasonal dewatering downstream of the 

 diversion had occiured for decades firom water users taking the entire stream flow for late season 

 irrigation. Historically, no fish would have existed there at this time of year. Since water has 

 been left instream, bull trout, cutthroat trout and brook trout have been found in the previously 

 dewatered reach. 



FUNDING FOR LEASES 



Funding for the leasing study was first approved by the 1989 Legislature, with expenditures 

 authorized to begin July 1, 1989. FWP established a project and budget for potential payments 

 to lessors and, when necessary, to conduct hydrologic studies and provide legal assistance to 

 complete water lease agreements. Prior to the 1997 Legislatiu-e, FWP was paying $32,700 per 

 year for five leases plus about $5,000 per year for hydrologic studies and legal assistance. The 

 1997 legislature reduced the FY 98/99 biennial budget to $66,000 to cover only the current cost 

 of lease payments and provided no fimds to acquire new leases. Table 1 shows the 

 appropriations for the water leasing study fix)m 1989-1999. 



Although leasing can be fimded through the Future Fisheries Improvement Program (FFIP) by 

 application to, and approval by, the FFIP Review Panel and the Fish, WildUfe and Parks 

 Commission, the process is much more complicated than using an established budget. Also, 

 hydrologic analyses and legal assistance are not, by themselves, acceptable projects for ftmding 

 by the FFIP. Therefore, FWP's ability to acquire new water leases during the FY 98/99 

 biennium was hindered by lack of funding. 



TABLE 1. LEASING APPROPRL^TIONS, FY 90 - FY 99 (1989 - 1999). 



Fiscal Year 



90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 

 $40,000 40,000 55,000 55,000 47,500 47,500 37,500 37,500 33,000 33,000 



A-14 



