Watershed planning in the Jefferson River basin will have increased capacity thanks to the continued partnership between the Jefferson River Watershed Council (JRWC) and Montana Trout Unlimited (MTU). The United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) announced on July 2, 2024, that the partners received a $300,000 funding commitment over 3 years through the USBR’s Cooperative Watershed Management Program.
Funding will be used to:
1. Support MTU staff and the JRWC in completing a Watershed Restoration Plan (WRP) for the upper Jefferson River and key tributaries, highlighting stakeholder involvement, and project prioritization.
2. Contract technical assistance in identifying and developing low-tech, process-based restoration projects in discrete geographies that builds rangeland resiliency, increase groundwater storage, and buoy base-flow in key tributaries to the upper Jefferson River.
3. Utilize drone technology to complete a riparian habitat assessment. This data will inform project prioritization for the WRP with an emphasis on developing at least one water temperature improvement project.
“This funding will usher in a new era of watershed planning in the Jefferson basin. It provides the Jefferson River Watershed Council and Montana Trout Unlimited the necessary capacity to complete a Watershed Restoration Plan and design water quantity, quality, and temperature projects at a critical time as impacts from prolonged drought continue to challenge wild trout survival,” said Chris Edgington, MTU’s Jefferson Watershed Project Manager. “With trout numbers near, or at historic lows across much of Southwest Montana, this is where we’ve been focusing our resources, we’re pleased to have this support from the Bureau of Reclamation.”