Each river resource category was evaluated separately without 

 reference to other resource values. For example, river reaches 

 were evaluated for recreational boating without reference to 

 their value for wildlife or historic features. 



2. Geographic Scope 



As a guide, participants were asked to evaluate rivers and 

 streams which appear on 1: 100, 000-scale maps. In practice, any 

 river segment with a significant resource value could be 

 included. Stream segments not evaluated included: 



a. intermittent streams, 



b. small tributaries, and 



c. federal institutional constraints (e.g., National 

 Parks , etc .) . 



In addition, a corridor width of 1,000 feet was recommended for 

 those resource categories associated with shoreline areas. 



3. River Reach Determination 



A standardized list of river reaches was designated for use 

 within the State of Montana. This system was based on hydro- 

 logic configuration though some physical and/or social landmarks 

 were used. While a given resource category could deviate from 

 this reach system every effort was made to adhere to this 

 system. The state reach system was also cross-referenced to the 

 EPA/USGS river reach system in order to standardize at the 

 regional level . 



4. Value Classes 



Value class refers to the resource significance rating assigned 



to each river segment for a given resource category. All 



resource category findings were reported using the same value 

 class system as follows: 



1 Unique or Outstanding Resources 



2 Substantial Resources 



3 Moderate Resources 



4 Limited Resources 



U Unknown or Unclassified 

 N Resource Not Present 



Note: In the case of resident fish, value class 1 was 

 subdivided into two groupings: "outstanding" and "high 

 value" . 



