Posted: Thursday, September 01, 2011 8:57 AM
Group says water deal assures flows to a stream
HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- The Clark Fork Coalition says a water deal will assure flows to a small tributary to the upper Clark Fork River.
The Natural Resource Damage Program recently approved the deal between the Clark Fork Coalition and the R Bar N Ranch near Deer Lodge.
The coalition will buy a water right from the ranch and transfers the right from irrigation use to in-stream flow. The coalition aims to improve flows in Racetrack Creek by releasing water stored in a reservoir during the summer months when the creek can run dry.
The group says the creek is spawning habitat for native trout.
Copyright 2011 The AP.
Comments made about this article
Posted By: kbirrigator On: 9/1/2011
Title: more lost productive ground
I really hope the ranchers are making an agreement that will hold up and not open the door for others to demand more water be given up in the future. Even getting paid for the water righ is not necessarily a good thing. Sure seems to be the mounting trend with those with the money....keep de-watering agriculture, most of the time with no proven benefit for fish or environment. Sounds much like the Klamath Basin in Southern Oregon. Those with the power and money demanding much less water for agriculture with no proven benefit, only a POSSIBILITY OF SOME SMALL BENEFIT FOR THE FISH. This insanity has to stop before ALL our food comes from third world countries with little if any oversight on production practices.