Montana Trout Unlimited is seeking $300,000 to complete a project that would remove irrigation diversion dams from the Boulder River in southern Jefferson County, aiming to increase fish populations there and in the Jefferson River that it feeds.
The project would remove the Shaw Dam, an aging diversion dam, and two smaller crop irrigation pumps on the Boulder River that studies have shown have become barriers to native fish migrations. The project was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025; the current target is fall or winter of 2026.
Chris Edgington, Montana Trout Unlimited’s Jefferson Watershed project manager, said the project would not only help boost local fish populations, but also develop wetland habitats in the Jefferson River floodplain that serve as protection for other wildlife species, all while improving crop watering efficiency for ranchers. “It’s just one of the ways we look for win-win projects that help everyone,” he said in an interview.
