The tagging of fish is important to many phases of fisheries 

 programs. This cutthroat trout sports a jaw tog. 



FISHERIES MANAGEMENT 



Montana has a wide variety of fish habitat 

 ranging from 1-acre ponds in eastern counties 

 to 126,000-acre Flathead Lake in the northwest- 

 ern part of the state — from small, slow moving 

 creeks to the mighty Clark Fork of Columbia 

 River. 



The state fisheries program is a two-fold en- 

 deavor. First it is aimed at providing high 

 quality fishing for today. At the same time, the 

 continuing loss of trout stream habitat through 

 pollution, sedimentation, channel alteration and 

 dewatering is a major problem in Montana 

 OS in other states. Therefore the second and 

 equally important part of the program is 

 aimed at preserving Montana's unexcelled trout 

 streams. If this con be accomplished, Montana's 

 trout streams will ever be a source of pride 

 and enjoyment for her citizens and visitors 

 alike. In future decades they will be an increas 

 ingly valuable asset lo the State's economy. 



The following is a discussion of some Mon- 

 tana fishing highlights during the biennium. 



Stream Channel Preservation 



Stream channel preservation was given over- 

 whelming approval by the 1965 legislature 

 when the Stream Preservation Law enacted in 

 1963 was reviewed and given piermanent status. 

 Beside being permanent, the new law differed 

 from the old in the method of selecting an ar- 

 bitration committee. The committee, when re- 

 quired, will be appointed by a district judge 

 in the area where there is a conflict regarding 

 construction. 



During the first 18 months under the old low, 

 decisions were not reached on three projects. 

 In 1965 satisfactory agreements were reached 

 on two of these projects. At the end of the 

 biennium the controversial Rainbow Bend proj- 

 ect was the only one not yet resolved. Recently 

 negotiations were reopened with the State 

 Highway Department on this project. 



During 1965 and the first four months of 

 1966, the Fish and Game Department received 

 62 legal notices of projects affecting fishing 



