PACIFIC NORTHWEST RIVERS STUDY 

 MONTANA INVENTORY OF FISHERIES RESOURCES 



The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks conducted 

 the fisheries inventory, with information obtained from fisheries 

 biologists with DFWP and the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land 

 Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 



The Montana Interagency Stream Fishery Database (started in 

 1973) was updated by adding additional streams, correcting 

 existing information, revising the fishes of special concern list 

 and adding a genetic value, and entering recent estimates of fish 

 populations and fisherman use. 



Fisheries values assessed on each stream reach were habitat and 

 species value (for game and non-game species alike) and sport 

 fisheries value. 



River reaches were assigned to one of five fishery resource 

 value classes (Outstanding, high, substantial, moderate, and 

 unknown) based on six criteria: fish abundance and/or biomass; 

 ingress (the legal right of the public to fish or landowner 

 willingness to allow fishing); esthetics; fisherman use; value of 

 the habitat for fishes of special concern; and genetic value of 

 special concern fishes. Special consideration was given to: 

 tributary streams that provide valuable spawning habitat for game 

 fishes; spring creeks; and streams that are locally important for 

 scientific study, nature study, or recreation. 



Nearly 2500 river reaches, about 19,500 miles of streams, were 

 assessed in the study. About 11 percent (2087 miles) were rated 

 Class I (Outstanding or highest value); 17 percent (3395 miles) 

 Class II, 37 percent (7235 miles) Class III, 34 percent (66U 

 miles) Class IV, and 1 percent (175 miles) unknown. Habitat and 

 species value appeared to be the major determinant of final 

 resource value. 



The number of reaches east and west of the Continental Divide 

 was roughly equal, although about two-thirds of the river mileage 

 was in the eastern part of the state. 



The standards established in a 1980 stream evaluation for the 

 habitat and species value category were extensively revised for 

 the current study. This substantially increased the Class II 

 mileage for habitat and species value, from less than five 

 percent in 1980 to over 14 percent at present. This is much 

 closer to the target figure (about 15 percent in Class II). 



The fisheries assessment benefits from a long history of 

 interagency efforts to classify streams based on fisheries 



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