Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke, a Republican, has announced that he wants to add nearly 100 miles of the Madison and Gallatin Rivers to the National Wild & Scenic Rivers system. Doing so would add more protections to these waterways, and enshrines current regulations into law.
Per Zinke’s office, “This bill amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to permanently protect key stretches of the Gallatin and Madison Rivers and tributaries Hyalite Creek and Cabin Creek while explicitly maintaining public access, allowing for emergency response, and preserving existing water rights and dam operations. Importantly, the legislation ensures that landowners’ rights are respected, and no land will be acquired without the owner’s consent.”
Zinke went fly fishing on the Madison earlier this week to highlight this bill, and spoke about the importance of maintaining water flows for its future.
“I think we should be concerned about growth along the Madison,” Zinke told KZBK News. “Making sure we have water flows and protect the very reason why we are in Montana.”
The American Rivers Action Fund, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and Gallatin River Task Force all voiced their support for the protection of the Madison and Gallatin under the National Wild & Scenic Rivers system.
The National Wild & Scenic Rivers system was created in 1968 to permanently protect rivers with “outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations.” It does take an act of Congress to nominate these rivers for protection.
East Rosebud Creek, the Flathead River, and the Missouri River are the only three waters currently part of the program in Montana.