The Montana Rivers Study: Past, Present and Future

Janet Decker-Hess and Gael Bissell
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
 Kalispell, Montana
Jim Stimson
Montana Natural Resource Recovery Information System
 1515 East Sixth Avenue
 Helena, Montana 59620 USA

    The Pacific Northwest Rivers Study was initiated in 1984 by a measure in the Northwest Power Planning Council's Fish and Wildlife Program. Funded by the Bonneville Power Administration, the study was designed to identify, assess, and rate the significance of river-related natural resources values in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon and to produce a consistent and verifiable database. The Montana Rivers Information System (MRIS), the Montana portion of the Pacific Northwest Rivers Study, included the assessment of resident fisheries, wildlife, recreational, natural, and cultural features along 4,000 reaches of Montana's rivers and streams. In addition to detailed descriptive and location information, each data base contains quantitative data on key features of each resource area such as species abundance, fishing press life, presence of species of special concern (fish and wildlife), boating suitability, scenic quality (recreation), scarcity, and scientific or educational use (natural/geologic features).

    The databases are managed in dBase III+ software; however, the programming can be compiled to run on any computer with MS/Dos operating system. Reports are available in hard copy, floppy disks, or through modems. The Natural Resources Information System (NRIS) in the Montana State library is the data manager for the MRIS. Direct all requests to NRIS: (406) 445-5356 (address listed above). In addition to data reports, NRIS can also provide criteria and other documents produced for MRIS.

    The MRIS is an ongoing federal and state interagency project. During the next phase (1990-1991) portions of the rivers system will be converted from tile state's water code system to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) River Reach Number System. The EPA reach system, a geographically continuous system with reaches linked to one another, will be available in a Geographic Information System by 1991 with coverages compiled at the 1:100,000 map scale. Other planned updates will include connecting the system to other agency bases such as those of the Heritage Program, Montana Riparian Association, federal land management agencies, and for adding new data for land ownership, special management areas, consumptive and non-consumptive wildlife recreation, and river recreation.