Drought and increasing stream temperatures are isolating many native fishes to smaller areas where conditions will remain suitable for persistence. These areas are known as “refugia.” We aim to
- Determine where likely temperature refugia will be located for all native fishes in the Missouri, Green, Clark Fork, and Kootenai River drainages of Wyoming and Montana.
- Identify likely drought refugia for all native fishes in the rangelands of the Missouri and Green basins of Wyoming and Montana.
When refugia are identified at the landscape-level, fisheries conservationists will want to ensure there are suitable habitats within these refugia that favor native species. Process-based stream restoration offers the potential to restore streams at a scale not previously achievable with heavily-engineered restoration techniques. We are partnering with federal, state, and private partners to
- Restore several streams in Wyoming and Montana.
- Evaluate the response of diverse fish communities to process-based restoration.
More about this project can be found at www.niallclancy.org
Bitter Creek, Valley Co., MT
Sand Shiner
Northern Leopard Frog
Sunset along the Powder River
Giant Water Bug
Project Lead
Funding & Partners
Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative
Bureau of Land Management