Montana’s Jefferson Basin includes the Big Hole, Ruby, Beaverhead, and Jefferson Rivers that have historically supported an abundance of wild trout. These cold-water fisheries are an integral part of Montana culture and have helped make the state a world-renowned outdoor destination. Today, the Jefferson Basin is experiencing variable snowpacks and dewatered rivers, increased development pressure and pollution, noxious algal blooms, warming temperatures, under-studied diseases and mortality, and increased recreational pressure. Reports from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks confirm that wild trout populations have crashed to historic lows, and initial investigations have found little to no young-of-year recruitment. 

Save Wild Trout (SWTC)is a coalition of anglers, river advocates, concerned citizens, businesses, guides, and outfitters whose mission is to protect wild trout for the benefit of all. Earlier this year, after more than three decades of work on the Big Hole River, the Big Hole River Foundation expanded its water quality monitoring model to all four rivers of the Jefferson Basin as part of Save Wild Trout. On Monday, July 14, Save Wild Trout and Upper Missouri Waterkeepers hosted an event to mark the release of a detailed report on the Jefferson River Basin. The public was invited to learn more about the Jefferson River Basin Abiotic Monitoring 2023-2024 and ongoing efforts to protect the health of Montana's iconic cold-water fisheries.  

The event started with a hands-on demonstration of water quality sampling procedures and field equipment from Brian Wheeler, Director of Save Wild Trout, who also gave some updates on the status of the 2025 monitoring season. Dr. Kyle Flynn was the keynote speaker of the event unveiling the “Jefferson River Basin Abiotic Monitoring 2023–2024”, a comprehensive scientific report on river health across the Jefferson Basin. The report integrates high-resolution thermal (FLIR) imagery, on-the-ground water quality monitoring, and field data collected over two field seasons by Save Wild Trout’s research team. This science-driven effort provides an unprecedented baseline for understanding nutrient pollution, warming temperatures, and algal growth—critical threats to Montana’s cold-water fisheries. MMW is glad to support the efforts of SWT to collect data to help protect our waters.