Joe Willauer Interview

Joe Willauer Interview

To get a better understanding of recreation on the Big Hole River, I contacted Joe Willauer of Twin Bridges Montana and asked him a a few questions. Joe is an avid sportsman, a board member of the Big Hole Watershed Committee, a fishing guide and a passionate conservationist. Getting his perspective on the subject was great, and he gave some insightful responses about the controversy on the Big Hole River. Check out some of the interview below, and click on the link to visit Joe’s Evolution Anglers blog!

Q: Have river closures on the Big Hole effected your guiding services in the past?

A: In the six years that I have guided the Big Hole river closures have only impacted my operation one time, summer of 2013. Fortunately we have so many other options around Twin Bridges we just went to other rivers and had more water and healthier fishing conditions.

Q: How do your feelings towards river closures differ as a business owner and a conservationist?

A: We have a lot of tailwater options near Twin Bridges (Beaverhead, Madison, Missouri) so it doesn’t impact us much from a business standpoint. Protecting the fishery for the future is what matters, and if that means we don’t fish the Big Hole in August, so be it. 

Q: How do you feel, in regards to the possible listing of the Arctic Grayling, the future of watershed management in the Big Hole will be different?

A: From an angling standpoint I would hope that it wouldn’t impact much given the low impact catch and release fishing has on fish populations. It will certainly change how consumptive uses of water in the Big Hole are managed though. 

Big Hole River April 11, 2014

Mike Roberts Interview

Surface Water Hydrologist for the Montana DNRC

How is the Montana DNRC involved with the Big Hole river?

• Montana DNRC monitors stream flow under the CCAA plans of the Upper Big Hole River.

 

• DNRC also provides streamflow reports on the entire Big Hole River to the BHWC.

 

• DNRC is charged with implement the CCAA – DNRC

 

How does the DNRC monitor the stream discharge for the Big Hole river?

• Measuring stream stage—obtaining a continuous record of stage—the height of the water surface at a location along a stream or river

 

• The discharge measurement—obtaining periodic measurements of discharge (the quantity of water passing a location along a stream)

 

• The stage-discharge relation—relation between the stage and discharge; using the stage-discharge relation to convert the continuously measured stage into estimates of streamflow or discharge

 

• Temperature monitoring

 

 

Where are these measurements taken on the Big Hole river?

 

• There are 9 USGS monitoring sites on the Big Hole river

 

 

 

How does this year compare to previous years?

 

• March 2014 snowpack report: Snowpack up to 155% of average.

 

• Average discharge higher than the historical average

What does that look like?

 

http://bhwc.org/2014/04/14/here-comes-the-water/. Photo: The Big Hole River from April 14, 2014.

Big Hole River Brown Trout

Brown Trout, as pictured above, are one of the handful of salmonid species found in the Big Hole River. Although the Arctic Grayling is arguably the most prized and valuable fish of the Big Hole, Brown Trout like these are what draws tens of thousands of anglers to the Big Hole river every year, making it one of the premier fly fishing destinations in the west.

 

-Trevor

Background

The Big Hole River runs from Skinner Lake 155 miles to the Jefferson River near Twin Bridges.  The river starts with near the Beaverhead Mountains in southwest Montana and sits at about 6,000 feet in elevation, and flows into the Big Hole valley heading towards Wisdom, MT (Montana Fly Fishing).  The town of Wisdom is the largest town in the valley with a population of 115 people, and a total of about 2,000 people who live in the Big Hole Valley today.  A lot of the population is farmers.  The name for the valley is “the Land of 10,000 Haystacks.”  The farmers in the valley still use an old fashion device called the Beaverslide an early invention for agriculture made in Beaverhead County (Big Hole Valley).  The Beaverhead County in the spring of 2013 produced 613, 500 bushels of wheat (USDA).

The Big Hole River is a world-class blue-ribbon trout river that is full of a variety of fish species (Discover America).  The species that gets the most attention in the Big Hole River are the fluvial (migratory fish) Arctic Grayling, which were said to be the last native population in the lower 48 states and have been decreasing due to river diversions and agriculture water rights.  The controversy now is whether the Arctic Grayling in Montana should be added to the Endangered Species list.  The Grayling were found around the headwaters of the Missouri River near Great Falls, but after river diversions they are found only on a 50-mile section of the Big Hole River.  The Grayling were put on a list to be a candidate for an endangered species in 1991.  But in 2004 there was a decision saying that the Arctic Grayling were not in need of federal protection.  In 2011, the Montana Arctic Grayling were put back onto the list of for a candidate of being an endangered species (Center for Biological Diversity).  The final proposal was due by September 30, 2014 or else it will be withdrawn from the candidate list (Wuerthner).

 

 

Management Process: Big Hole Watershed Committee

Process: Big Hole Watershed Committee

“When we first started the committee, it was ranchers on one side of the room and sportsmen on the other. We had some very heated discussions but we found common goals and gained trust amongst the different stakeholders. Today we’re able to take on difficult projects..I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.” – Bill Cain, founding member

Managing the Big Hole Watershed in the past was difficult, and until 1995 there was no real organization behind the decision making process. Ranchers and farmers need water for their practices, while conservationists and sportsmen want to protect in stream flow to maintain healthy fish populations. Today the Big Hole Watershed Committee is the frontrunner in managing the watershed, and according to many people, they’ve done so very well. Check out the link to learn more about the organization!

Stakeholder Introduction: Recreationists

The Big Hole River is renowned for its wild scenery, one of a kind seclusion and high quality of angling. Many people come to this part of Montana to recreate, and this has become an important component to the local economy. There are wonderful opportunities for hiking, backpacking, skiing, hunting, and fishing in this region, yet angling has become the major reason people visit the Big Hole Valley. With the possible listing of the Arctic Grayling, the future of angling opportunity in some areas may be uncertain and many opportunities for recreationists could be lost.