In today’s teleconference a few hours ago, Montana FWP reopened to use today as conditions have improved since the 19th of August. Details from the updated Yellowstone River Fish Kill Fact Sheet include –
Section 1: YNP to Carbella
The Yellowstone River and all of its tributaries from the northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, downstream to the Carbella Fishing Access Site, which is operated by the Bureau of Land Management, are open to all non-angling recreational uses. Angling remains closed in this section to protect the Yellowstone cutthroat trout fishery. On Sept. 6, department biologists will float this section to assess any change in fishery health during this period of non-angling recreational use. In the event this section does not show any detrimental change in fishery health, it will be open to all uses beginning Sept. 8. The public will be notified via press-release of the status of this section on Sept. 7.
Section 2: Carbella to Highway 89 Bridge at Livingston
The mainstem Yellowstone River from the Carbella BLM Fishing Access Site downstream to the Highway 89 Bridge Fishing Access Site near Livingston, remains closed to all public occupation and recreation per the original Aug. 19 closure. However, all Yellowstone River tributaries in this section, including Armstrong, Depuy’s, and Nelson’s Spring Creeks, are open to all uses.
Section 3: Highway 89 Bridge to Laurel
The Yellowstone River and all of its tributaries downstream from the Highway 89 Bridge Fishing Access Site to the Highway 212 bridge in Laurel are open to all uses, with the exception of the Shields River and all of its tributaries, which remain closed to all public occupation and recreation per the original Aug. 19 closure in order to protect the Yellowstone cutthroat trout fishery. The mainstem Yellowstone River and all tributaries downstream from the Highway 212 bridge in Laurel were never part of a closure, and remain open to all uses.
There’s more, including a discussion of T. bryosalmonae found in one of seven whitefish and two of the three rainbows tested recently on the Jefferson (which remains closed to angling since 1 August), and reports of positive tests for the parasite in whitefish and rainbows on the lower Shields. Read it all via the link above.
More to come.
