Land, Fish & Wildlife
The middle Kootenai River flows from Libby Dam westward to Kootenai Falls. This segment of river contains many small tributary streams and includes one large tributary, the Fisher River. Elevations in this area range from 1,940 feet at Kootenai Falls up to 8,738 feet on Snowshoe Peak in the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness. Annual precipitation ranges from just over 10 inches in lower elevations in the rain shadow of the Cabinet Mountains to over 100 inches in the higher peaks of the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness. Most precipitation in the area comes from snow and is stored in snowpacks throughout the higher elevations to be released during the summer months.
The middle Kootenai River and associated tributaries support many native and non-native fish species. The USDA Forest Service, through the Inland Native Fish Strategy, identified six priority watersheds in this section of the Kootenai River. Priority watersheds are streams that possess the highest quality of habitat for the restoration of threatened bull trout. This area also supports two species on the USDA Forest Service's sensitive species and species of concern lists. These two species are the westslope cutthroat trout and Montana's only native rainbow trout, the interior redband rainbow. This designation of sensitive species and species of concern comes from the loss of habitat, hybridization with non-native fish, and/or general low population size.
Private land owners and State and Federal agencies in the Middle Kootenai are working cooperatively to restore native fisheries and improve habitat conditions. Stream restoration projects have occurred and will continue to occur on watersheds in this area.
From the Sign