Location:

The Little Blackfoot River is a tributary to the Upper Clark Fork watershed and drains an area of 265,300 acres from the Boulder Mountains North of Butte and West of Helena.

Background:

• Fisheries: The Little Blackfoot River is an important stream for the spawning and rearing of native Westslope Cutthroat and Bull Trout, among other fish species.
• Impacts: Fisheries are negatively impacted by dewatering, poor fish passage, lack of habitat connectivity, and elevated water temperatures.
• Status: The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has classified the Little Blackfoot River as chronically dewatered from the town of Elliston to the confluence with the Clark Fork River.

Our Work:

• The Coalition protects 2.52 cubic feet per second of water instream during the summer irrigation season.
• In 2007 the Montana Water Trust (now part of the Clark Fork Coalition) commissioned a return flow study from PBS&J with Natural Resource Damage Program (NRDP) funds.  The results of this study will be used to address concerns about irrigation return flows.

The Coalition's Water Right Lease Agreement on the Little Blackfoot River

Project Details

The Coalition's Instream Water Right Lease:

Duration:  5 Years (2007-2011)

Flow Rate Protected:  2.52 cubic feet per second

Location:  19.2 miles from the confluence with the upper Clark Fork River

Value:  By protecting water in the impaired section of the Little Blackfoot River, our lease agreement is expected to restore streamflows, lower water temperature, and improve fish passage to the benefit of the stream's fisheries.