Class I or Outstanding resource value, the river reach had to 

 receive a Class I species value with a Class I or II habitat 

 value. Other classifications were based on the average of the 

 species and habitat ratings with the final classification rounded 

 upwards. One exception to this occurred for reaches receiving a 

 Class IV species ratings with Class III habitat rating. In the 

 latter case, the final resource value became a Class IV. 



RECREATION 



The Montana Rivers Study recreation study had two stages -- 

 identification of river reaches having recreational value and an 

 inventory and evaluation of those reaches. Participating in the 

 study were more than 20 managers and staff members from MDFWP, US 

 Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management; and private and 

 commercial river users. A letter was sent to each manager 

 describing the purpose and goals of the Montana Rivers Study 

 followed by a request to identify river reaches having 

 recreational values. Managers also were asked to provide the names 

 and addresses of river recreationis ts, clubs, commercial river 

 outfitters, and others who would have an interest in the study as 

 well as project staff identifying additional river users. 



Once all the maps had been returned, the river reaches were 

 compared and adjusted to create a final map version. In April of 

 1985, the adjusted working maps were returned to the managers with 

 a worksheet to complete for each river reach with which they were 

 familiar. The 300 river users identified were mailed a similar 

 letter introducing the study and asking them to provide the same 

 information. 



The worksheet contained items on water character and boating 

 suitability, water- and land-based recreation activities taking 

 place on or along the river reach, use levels, access, recreation 

 opportunity spectrum (ROS) class, scenic quality, and the number 

 and type of developed recreation sites along the reach. Managers 

 and other raters also indicated what class they would assign to 

 each river reach, and wrote down explanations in their own words. 

 Value classes had verbal descriptions of the type of river segment 

 that would fall into each class, to insure consistency of class 

 definitions . 



Once worksheets were returned, project staff reviewed and 

 compiled the managers' ratings onto a single worksheet for each 

 river reach. If any manager rated a reach as Class I 

 (Outstanding), that was the final value class, regardless of any 

 other ratings received. 



After combining information received from managers and users a 

 draft printout of the data was mailed to each manager for review 

 and correction. At the same time, river users who had 

 participated in the study received postcards on which they were 



