BRTU E-News
Because there's more to fishin' than just fishin'!
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#286: Apr. 26, 2023
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Montana Matters Youth Experience on May 6 at Ravalli County Fairgrounds. |
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Poster for May 6 Montana Matters Youth Expo. Source: Tom Powers. |
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Partial list of groups participating in the May 6 2023 Montana Matters Youth Expo. |
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A confused geezer assists in casting instruction at 2018 Expo. Source: BRTU. |
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Casting instruction at 2018 Expo. Source: BRTU. |
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If there is an event promoting conservation and outdoor education for kids in the Bitterroot Valley, you can bet that BRTU will be there!
And the Montana Matters Youth Experience on May 6 will be no exception! BRTU has been participating in these expos for at least 1/2 dozen years.
Tom Powers has been the driving force behind the Expo since the first one in 2013.
The Expos have been extremely successful and the number of attendees has skyrocketed over the years. This demonstrates that the youth of today is extremely interest in conservation and outdoor activities of all sorts, including flyfishing. And the number of groups and agencies responding to this interest has also greatly expanded. In fact, there are so many participating groups this year that the organizers have moved the event to the Ravalli County Fairgrounds.
There was an excellent article about the May 6 Expo in today's paper. Among the attractions for 2023 are a climbing wall, bear awareness info, BB gun and archery ranges, and a demonstration by the celebrated US Forest Service Ninemile pack string. If you've never seen that pack string, it is really something.
BRTU will have a booth and will be offering flycasting instruction using our yarn rods. Greg Chester is leading this effort and he is looking for a few more volunteers to help us out. If you can help, let Greg know.
The event is free and will be open Saturday, May 6 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Access to and parking for the event is via the Ravalli County Fairgrounds entrance at 100 Old Corvallis Road.
One of the features this year for kids 7 - 17 will be opportunities for scholarships at several summer camps, including the Trout Unlimited camp.
If you would like additional information, please contact BRTU Chapter President Dave Ward or Greg Chester.
Please note that Montana Matters Youth Expo is completely distinct from the youth event scheduled at Teller Wildlife Refuge later in May. I will feature that in a later newsletter.
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BRTU to Sponsor May 25 Stream Management Workshop. |
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Downed trees like this offer both good habitat for trout and a significant hazard for floaters. The woody debris task force was formed to balance both. Source: BRTU. |
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It won't be long before Painted Rocks Lake fills and we will see water topping the spillway as in this photo. Source: Larry Schock. |
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Failure to scout a route and be watchful for hazards can lead to situations like this. Source: BRTU. |
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A comfortable and convenient personal floatation device like this might save your life. They are rarely seen on the Bitterroot. Source: Whygin Argus. |
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The Bitterroot River is likely the most dynamic stream in the state. Every year channels migrate, banks erode, trees fall into the water, logjams form, gravel bars appear and new runs become apparent. These features are what make the river such a terrific and scenic fishery, but they also introduce hazards for floaters and headaches for irrigators and landowners.
In our valley, the management of issues like this primarily falls to the Bitterroot Conservation District, which is charged with administering Montana's Natural Streambed and Land Preservation Act of 1975, also known as the 310 Law for the permits that are issued by the Conservation District. These are the permits that an irrigator is supposed to obtain before moving gravel around with a bulldozer, that a land owner is supposed to obtain before riprapping a bank, and a citizen is supposed to obtain before cutting out a logjam. In addition to the Conservation District, MFWP, DNRC, and the County Floodplain administrator play a role in the evaluation of projects and issuing of permits.
In order to clarify roles and responsibilities of stream management, BRTU is partnering with the Bitterroot Conservation District, MFWP, DNRC and the Bitterroot River Commissioner to host a free panel discussion on Thursday, May 25 at 7:00 PM at the Hamilton Elks Club.
There will be several panelists on hand to explain their role.
- Bitterroot Conservation District Supervisor Kent Myers will discuss the laws regulating activities in the streambed and floodplain. Kent will also describe the Woody Debris Task Force that was formed to address stream issues that impede floating, like logjams, and explain the proper and legal way to deal with downed trees.
- River Commissioner JR Iman and DNRC Engineer Larry Schock will preview the Painted Rocks water status and probable water release schedules. They will also describe the much needed repairs to the dam outlet works and the process for getting that done. It will take a lot of bake sales!
- Ben Dickinson, our new MFWP Region 2 Recreation Manager, will talk about boating safety and recreation issues.
- BRTU President Dave Ward who will present some possible novel solutions for hazard notification that our chapter is working on.
This will be an extremely interesting and important meeting. Guides and outfitters are particularly encouraged to attend.
BRTU will be providing free brats to the first 30 attendees. For additional information, please contact BRTU Chapter President Dave Ward.
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A map delineating the West Fork Road (#473) above Painted Rocks Lake and Horse Creek Pass on the Idaho border. Sheep Creek is a small drainage off this extreme upper end of the West Fork, approximately at the sign SE SW Section 3 Mine. Painted Rocks Lake would be a bit north of Alta and Hughes Creek. Source: Mapcarta.
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The notorious Mountain Pass rare earth mine in California. Approximately 2000 X2600 meters. Source:GoogleEarth. |
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There are no updates to this post since last BRTU E-News.
Since the announcement by the Utah based US Critical Materials, Corporation in March claiming that there was a "mother lode" of rare earth metals in the Sheep Creek drainage of the upper upper West Fork above Painted Rocks Lake, interest has remained intense.
The company's claims in the Sheep Creek area cover about 7 square miles. However, in an effort to understand and map the Sheep Creek and potential vicinal deposits, the US Geologic Survey will be doing aerial surveys in Montana and Idaho, which are described in this Missoulian article.
There is still no report that a Plan of Operation has been filed with the Bitterroot National Forest, so the course of action remains speculative. However, BRTU and Montana TU, as well as other groups, continue to monitor this latest snake oil project. The drainage downstream from the claims is home to populations of native cutthroat and bull trout. As a result, it is a mistake to discount this project which warrants watchful waiting.
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This issue's Picture of the Week was submitted by long-time BRTU supporter, Cary Griffin.
Even I can tell this photo was not taken on the West Fork! Cary took this amazing photo of his brother stalking bonefish on Cudjoe Key, Florida a couple years ago. The colors are unreal and the horizon seems to melt into the water.
Please send me any fishing or conservation related photos to be considered for the "Picture of the Week." Make sure that the files are less than 5 mB in size. Note that in most cases I plan to not to use "grip and grin" photos, but rather pictures of fish in the water or net.
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I can't believe noone has submitted an entry for this BRTU Puzzler yet!
This week's BRTU Puzzler was submitted by long-time BRTU member and all-round good guy, Keith Johnson.
The fish was caught by Keith's grandson Nate in the Thomas pond on the Teller Wildlife Refuge. The Puzzler is to identify the fish by its common and technical name and provide a little history of the species in Western Montana. The person to submit the first correct answer will win the BRTU Puzzler and a prize from the Puzzler's sponsor.
The BRTU Puzzler now has a new sponsor - Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton. Chapter One is offering a $10 gift card to each winner but it must be picked up in person. The book store is a long time BRTU supporter and has an unbelievable inventory of books and magazines. If Chapter One doesn't have the tome you want, they can get it in a jiffy. Shouldn't we be patronizing local small independents rather than big online giants?
If you have a cool fishing, outdoor activity, or conservation related photo, consider submitting it to BRTU Puzzlemaster Marshall Bloom for the BRTU Puzzler. The first correct entry will be the winner.
BRTU E-News will no longer publish grip and grin photos of native fish out of water but will highlight photos of actual fish in the water.
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Monte Dolack BRTU prints
now available at Joe's Studio.
A very few Publisher's Proofs of the limited edition "Bitterroot River-Lost Horse Bend" by Monte Dolack are still available at Joe's Studio. BRTU commissioned Monte Dolack in 2007 to create this iconic print of the Bitterroot River.
The remaining Publisher's Proofs are $375 and all proceeds support BRTU efforts to protect trout and streams.
Joe's Studio, a regular BRTU sponsor, is located in Hamilton at 220 Marcus Street (961-4586, joesstudio@aol.com)
The "U" in BRTU
Unlike many groups, BTRU has no paid staff. We are an entirely volunteer organization. We are always looking for new members to get involved in projects or to join our board and assist with maintaining our focus on native fish, clean healthy streams and education. If you would like to help out, please contact BRTU Chapter President Dave Ward. We could sure use your help!
In other words, how about putting a little "U" in BRTU?
If "U" are not already a member, "U" can join TU today by going to the the BRTU website. chapter number is #080. If you have a question about your membership, please call the Montana TU office at 406-543-0054.
The BRTU Mission statement is "To conserve, protect, and restore the Bitterroot River and it's watershed," directly in line with the Montana TU mission statement.
For your information, here is a tabulation of our current hard-working BRTU officers and board members.
BOARD OFFICERS
Donna Haglund; Vice President; E-mail: haglunddonna@gmail.com
Don Patterson, Treasurer; d5357mt@gmail.com
BOARD MEMBERS
Charlie Harris; E-mail: hmgharris@gmail.com
Joe Byrne; E-mail: byrnej@hsd3.org
Paul Stone; E-mail:
Vacant; (student board member)
GENERAL FACTOTUM AND NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER
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Bitterroot Trout Unlimited| PO 262, Hamilton, MT 59840 | www.bitterroottu.org |
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