Assessment Guidelines 



FISHERIES 



The classification of rivers is nothing new to Montana's 

 fisheries. The first stream classification for recreational 

 fisheries was published in 1959 by the Stream Classification 

 Committee, composed of representatives from the Montana Fish and 

 Game Department (now Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and 

 Parks), Montana State College (now Montana State University) and 

 the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife (now part of the U.S. 

 Fish and Wildlife Service). The classification stemmed from a 

 concern over a . . . "lack of satisfactory methods for measuring 

 . . . their total (stream) fishery - both economical and social." 



Although the number of miles assessed and the sophistication 

 of sampling techniques have changed substantially from 1959 to 

 1985, the intent, purpose and criteria for assessing the state's 

 fisheries have remained nearly the same. The fisheries data base 

 used in the Montana Rivers Study had a head start on all the other 

 resource areas too -- by about 15 years. The Montana Interagency 

 Stream Fishery Data Base, started in 1973 by the MDFWP in 

 cooperation with federal land management agencies, was used to 

 assess Montana streams in 1985. Each stream reach in the data 

 base included the stream reach location and description; fish 

 population estimates and species abundance data; fishing pressure, 

 creel data and recreational opportunity; land use values and 

 physical, chemical and limiting factor information. In order to 

 rate the reaches for the Montana Rivers Study, the data base was 

 corrected in 1985 and updated with additional streams; the fishes 

 of special concern list was revised, and a genetic value was 

 added; and more recent estimates of fish populations and angler 

 use were included. 



From the 300 or more variables in the fishery interagency data 

 base, 56 were used to rate each reach in two categories, a species 

 and habitat value and a sport fishery value. In the fisheries 

 assessment, the Class I resource value was divided into two 

 subclassif ications: a Class I became an outstanding stream reach 

 and a Class II being a high-valued stream reach; Class III was 

 defined as substantial, rather than a Class II in the other 

 resource area assessments. The final classification, the fishery 

 resource value, was the higher class of the two categories. 



The habitat and species value category of each stream reach 

 was determined using a point system. Points were awarded for 

 stream habitats of Montana fishes of special concern, which are 

 native fishes found in limited numbers and/or limited numbers of 

 waters. Montana fish species of special concern include white 

 sturgeon (Acigens^er t r an s^m on t anu£) , pallid sturgeon 

 ( Scaphirhynchus albus) , paddlefish ( Polydo n sp ath ula) , arctic 

 grayling ( Thymallus arcticus ), cutthroat subspecies ( Salmo clarkii 

 ££) , and bull trout (S alvelinu s conf l uentus ) . Points were also 



