http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

v 2.4.3.0

The Flathead River was flowing at a third of its normal average for this time of year. Flathead Lake was two feet lower than normal, causing many boat owners to take their boats out of the lake. Business owners that cater to the recreationists worry about lost revenue as boaters stay away. Full fishing closures began on Wednesday, July 26 and hoot-owl restrictions for numerous rivers and streams in western Montana as intense heat continued. Full fishing closures included the Madison River from the Warm Springs Day Use Area to the Madison Dam and portions of the Clark Fork River, specifically within 100 yards of where that river meets the St. Regis River, Cedar Creek or Fish Creek. Hoot-owl restrictions, which prohibit fishing between 2 p.m. and midnight, were announced for the Clark Fork River from the confluence with the Flathead River to the confluence of Warm Springs Creek and Silver Bow Creek; sections of the Big Hole River; and the Gallatin River from the confluence with the Missouri River to Nixon Bridge near the confluence with the East Gallatin River. Stage I fire restrictions begin on Saturday, July 29 and prohibit campfires in most areas and smoking outside unless inside a vehicle or in an area cleared of flammable materials. The campfire ban includes Flathead, Lincoln and Sanders counties, the Flathead and Kootenai national forests, Glacier National Park, and land managed by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. A fire warden in Flathead County said that firefighters have dealt with two to three new wildfires every afternoon. Montana Free Press (Helena, Mont.), July 26, 2023