Reclamation Information Sharing Environment (RISE)

The Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (MFWP), the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Western Area Power Administration are working together to study changes in the Bighorn River. Since the closure of Yellowtail Dam, the Bighorn River has become a trout stream of national significance and has been called "the world's finest trout stream". The purpose ofthis study is to document hydraulic and geomorphic changes in the river, any adverse changes in the river that may affect the trout fishery, and to help propose changes in the river system to maintain the high quality trout stream. This literature review of existing hydraulic and sediment data has been prepared to document the problems that have been noted in the Bighorn River since adoption ofthe Bighorn River Management Plan.