The upper clark fork river streamflow group, in partnership with the watershed restoration coalition, will address water use challenges in the upper clark fork river watershed, in western montana

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $300,000 Project Grant under the Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CFDA 15.554) to the Watershed Restoration Coalition of the Upper Clark Fork Inc. The project aims to address water use challenges in the Upper Clark Fork River Watershed in western Montana. Key activities include collaboratively identifying flow restoration priorities, creating a matrix of proposed solutions, and drafting a 5-year strategic plan for the stakeholder group. The project will focus on mitigating threats to aquatic resources, livelihoods, community well-being, and tribal interests due to increased drought and over-appropriation of water rights in the region. The award period is from December 20, 2024 to December 31, 2027.

The group will collaboratively identifying priorities for flow restoration and solutions to chronic dewatering by expanding group engagement, creating a matrix of proposed flow restoration priorities, and drafting a five-year strategic plan for the group. Due to an increase in frequency, severity, and intensity of drought and over-appropriation of water rights, the upper clark fork is the site of frequent fish kills due to poor water quality and chronic stream dewatering. The groups planning efforts will focus on direct threats to aquatic resources, livelihoods, community well-being, and tribal interests. Participants in this group include private agricultural producers and irrigators in the deer lodge valley, the watershed restoration coalition, clark fork coalition, trout unlimited, the confederated salish and kootenai tribes, montana state agencies, the university of montana, montana tech, and the atlantic richfield corporation.