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THE MONTANA RIVERS STUDY 



As part of the Hydropower Assessment Work Plan, the assessment 

 of nonanadromous fish and wildlife values was conducted by the 

 Pacific Northwest Rivers Study (PNWRS) beginning in 1985. The 

 study, funded by the BPA, was developed to assess and rate the 

 significance of river related natural resource values in Montana, 

 Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The Montana Rivers Study, the 

 Montana portion of the PNWRS, included the assessment of resident 

 fisheries and wildlife values and recreational, natural and 

 cultural features in and along Montana's rivers and streams. 

 Institutional constraints such as national parks, wilderness areas 

 r wildlife refuges, which would prohibit or reduce the likelihood 

 of hydroelectric development, were mapped but streams within these 

 designations were not rated. Montana's Indian reservation land 

 were not assessed in the study. 



The Montana Rivers Study was coordinated by the MDFWP and 

 conducted the fish, wildlife and recreational assessments. The 

 Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) lead the 

 natural features assessment and the University of Montana's 

 anthropology department headed up the cultural assessment. State 

 agency employees, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and state 

 universities were major participants in the assessments, providing 

 data, completing questionnaires and reviewing assessment 

 guidelines and rating systems (Appendix A). 



In six months, beginning in May, 1985, the study inventoried 

 and compiled data, determined standards and criteria to rate each 

 resource, and assessed the significance of Montana's rivers and 

 streams. Following the assessment, each stream reach for each 

 resource value present was rated as Class I for Unique or 

 Outstanding resources. Class II for Substantial, Class III for 

 Moderate, and Class IV for Limited resources. Reaches with an 

 unknown value were identified as Class V. 



A detailed description of the assessment guidelines used for 

 each natural resource area is available under separate cover, 

 Pa£_if_ic Northwes^t Rivers^ Studyj_ As sessment Guidelines: M ontana, 

 December 1986 available at the MDFWP Fisheries Division in Helena, 

 Kalispell MDFWP Special Projects Office, or the Natural Resource 

 Information System located at the State Library in Helena. 

 Following is a summary of the assessment guidelines for each 

 resource area. 



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