A lot has been written lately about the loss of fish in the irrigation ditches of the Bitterroot River. This has been a problem in the Bitterroot since irrigation ditches were dug and regulated for water flows.
About 1998, the Bitterroot Chapter of Trout Unlimited was active in preventing fish from getting into irrigation ditches and received a grant to install a couple of friendly trout screens on ditches coming from Skalkaho Creek. These screens have been very successful and many fish have been prevented from entering the canals and ditches in the past 20 years.
Prior to these screens being installed, many volunteers would try to save as many fish as possible by netting those trapped in the drying up ditches and returning them to the river. This took a lot of volunteer time, but we all felt it was worth the effort to net the fish, sometimes less than one inch, and haul them to the main river to be released.
There have been a lot questions asked about the validity of more screens and the ability to save fish on other portions of the Bitterroot. The largest questions have been regarding the cost of purchasing, installing and maintaining the screens. The screens catch a lot of debris and someone needs to come along on a regular basis and clean the screens to make sure they continue to work properly.
The cost of each screen is estimated to be $200,000 or more for each screen and would they be able to save enough fish to justify the cost? Could the Bitterroot River handle the numbers of fish that would not be lost each year? Is there enough food and habitat to handle the increase fish population each year or would overpopulation cause a decrease in numbers of native fish? I don’t know the answers to these questions and I don’t know if we could get them answered before new fish screens are installed. Several people suggest that we go back to the old system and use volunteers or pay some individuals to cruise the ditches and return fish to the river.
The Fly Fishers of the Bitterroot have made some significant changes for the next membership meeting, set for March 13 at the Elks Club. The change was made to give members more room to socialize and eat without being too crowded.
Dinner will be at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. There will not be a menu to choose from so if you want to come and have dinner please make a reservation ahead of time so the chef can prepare the appropriate amount of food. Tony Reinhart will be our guest presenter and it will be a great event.
Remember to pick up your new fishing license for the 2018-2019 season. Pick up the new fishing regulations and learn where you can or can’t fish during the coming season.
Good Fishing!
Bagikan Berita Ini
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