Rivers group releases its list of threatened waterways Flood control makes Yellowstone 'armored ditch' By JOE KOLMAN Gazette Bozeman Bureau and ALLISON STEVENS Medill News Service BOZEMAN - After a two-year hiatus, the Yellowstone River is back in the national spotlight as one of America's most endangered waterways, according to a conservation group that releases an annual list of streams facing environmental threats. Gazette file photo by Larry Mayer An aerial photograph from December 1998 shows construction of a bend way weir on the Yellowstone River near Laurel. The project was funded by an Emergency Watershed Protection Project grant. A weir is a series of rock structures built to divert the water flow away from the bank. Flood control efforts such as riprap and levees threaten to turn the country's longest free-flowing river into an "armored ditch" that endangers its blue ribbon trout fishery and storied cottonwood gallery, said the nonprofit group American Rivers, which placed the Yellowstone at No. 5 on its list. MOST ENDANGERED LIST 1999 most endangered rivers in America, according to American Rivers, a national river conservation organization. Lower Snake River, Washington Missouri River, Midwest Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin, Georgia and Alabama San Pedro River, Arizona and Sonora, Mexico Yellowstone River, Montana and North Dakota Cedar River, Washington Fox River, Illinois and Wisconsin Carmel River, California Coal River, West Virginia Bear River, Utah American Rivers called upon the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stop permitting bank stabilization projects, a practice of replacing riverside trees and plants with rocks to prevent land erosion. "The Yellowstone is being abused as the Army Corps of Engineers attempts to control flooding by constructing levees and piling rocks along the river banks," said American Rivers president Rebecca Wodder. John Bailey, a Livingston fly shop owner and chairman of the Upper Yellowstone River Task Force, said making the list will focus attention on the problems and could loosen up funding to work toward solutions. "It shows you how important the Yellowstone is," Bailey said. Enviromental call to action State environmental groups pounced on the Yellowstone's listing to call attention to what members say is poor management of the river. They demanded a moratorium on new bank stabilization permits, which are issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "Together, we've communicated the escalating threats on the Yellowstone to county commissioners and particularly to the governor and local representatives with the Army Corps of Engineers," said Dennis Glick of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. "It's sad that the Yellowstone has landed on the national radar screen as a river in deep trouble while these leaders here in Montana are still not taking the threats seriously." "The Corps of Engineers will just hand out permits," said Jim Barrett, executive director of the Park County Environmental Council. "They're our biggest problem. A good portion of them are still acting like the cavalry: 'Lasso that river. Tie it down and put it on a reservation.' They're not really sensitive to the needs of the river itself." Glick added: "When they review requests for permits, the Army Corps of Engineers are in theory supposed to evaluate the environmental impacts of projects on the site as well as on the river as a whole. But they're not doing an adequate job of doing either of those things." Urban sprawl blamed Glick joined Barrett in calling for an end to "urban sprawl," which continues to encroach on the river's banks. To this end, environmentalists request the removal of some homes and farm buildings near the river that might be flooded and call for a ban on further structures near the river. Although controlling urban sprawl is not an easy problem, Barrett said, the people who moved along the river knowingly "put themselves in a situation with unreasonable influence on the river. But the river," he said, "belongs to all of us." Stabilization takes toll Much of the controversy centers on development and bank stabilization projects on the upper Yellowstone River between Gardiner and Springdale. That area is being studied by a task force appointed by Gov. Marc Racicot in 1997 following two years of record flooding. The task force inventory found that nearly one-quarter of 90 miles of riverbank has undergone stabilization. Most projects were built to protect roads and homes, 14 of which have been built within 200 feet of the river since 1987. The largest project is a levee, built to protect Livingston schools, that runs along the majority of the river between Livingston's Ninth Street Bridge and Mayor's Landing. The Corps of Engineers granted 180 permits for work along the Yellowstone River in 1997 and 1998 - almost double the number of permits granted during the three-year period between 1994 and 1996. Bank stabilization projects tend to armor the banks, causing the water to flow faster, increasing erosion and destroying habitat found along meandering waterways, according to federal fish and wildlife officials and others. The water speed eliminates the murky nutrients that enrich riverbed sediment and nourish the fish and wildlife, Wodder said. A study by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks supports Wodder's claims. According to the study, "the trout populations in the stretch most heavily impacted by bank stabilization and levees dropped by 50 percent during a two-year span," and on the lower Yellowstone "the numbers of some species of warm water fish, particularly the pallid sturgeon, are extremely low." Andrew Malcolm, Racicot's spokesman, said he had not yet seen the American Rivers report, but added, "Obviously, we're interested in striking a proper balance as far as all Montana rivers are concerned." Complex problem On the Yellowstone, both Bailey and Malcolm said the task force is progressing well in wrestling with complex and controversial topics. "It's a difficult issue," Malcolm said. "Difficult place. Lots of conflicting uses. Lots of conflicting ownerships. . . . so it's a tricky thing to handle. "But they're doing their best." Bailey said the task force needs to complete a study of the cumulative effects of bank stabilization projects and get those with various interests to agree on the data. Then, he said, sound decisions can be made. However, he added, it does not stand to reason that the Corps could stop issuing permits to protect private property when government entities use riprap and levees to protect roads, schools and other public property. "I don't think they're going to let cities disappear," Bailey said. "We have a river with many uses and there's economics involved with each use and there are lifestyles involved." Paul Johnston, a spokesman for the Corps of Engineers in Omaha, Neb., said a moratorium is unlikely and denials of permits are rare. But he added that the Corps works closely with state and federal agencies and many modifications are made to permits - sometimes so many that the applicant withdraws. Larry Robson, regulatory manager for the Corps, said, "If we don't grant permits, we're going to see the work done anyway." Robson warned of unauthorized bank stabilization projects if permits were banned, adding that "most permits are for reasonable requests." Robson also said the economic costs would be significant for individuals whose buildings would be damaged or destroyed if flooding were allowed to continue. A study of the effects of bank stabilization, which would cost more than $600,000 and would be completed within three years, according to the Corps, is on its way. The Senate Environment and Public Works committee, of which Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., is ranking member, approved legislation in March granting over $300,000 to the Corps. Missouri also listed The Missouri River, the nation's longest river which starts near Three Forks, came in No. 2 on the list. Increased bank stabilization projects were listed as problems as well as poor livestock management and dam operations. "The Corps has already altered two-thirds of the Missouri River beyond recognition with channels and dams," Wodder said. The Army Corps of Engineers is working better with the concerns of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Bill Hartwig, a FWS regional director in Minneapolis who oversees the Missouri River. Last fall, FWS officials said the Corps had been ignoring fish and wildlife issues when approving permits. Corps officials denied any communication problems and did not agree to a moratorium on new permits, but did vow to work more closely with FWS and complete a study of bank projects on the upper Yellowstone. "We may not agree with everything, but we knew that going in," Hartwig said. "Before, we couldn't get their attention. I feel we have their attention." From 1994 to 1996, the group listed the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone as the country's most threatened stream because of a proposed gold mine near Cooke City, plans for which have since been scrapped. Missouri makes list 3rd year in a row By PAULA CLAWSON Of The Helena Independent Record For the third year in a row, the Missouri River has been listed as one of the most endangered rivers in the country by the environmental group American Rivers. In the 14th annual listing of the nation's 10 most endangered rivers released Monday, the Missouri was ranked second, the same position it held in 1998. In 1997 the Missouri topped the list. "In the years since it's been listed, the Missouri has only been able to take baby steps," said Chad Smith, Missouri River Regional Representative for American Rivers. American Rivers is a national, nonprofit river conservation organization. "Ongoing problems continue. We're not recovering endangered species, haven't solved the question of how to balance the needs of recreation and wildlife with navigation, and we have the new problem of bank stabilization," Smith said. Problems of particular concern for the Missouri in Montana center around dam management. "Canyon Ferry is managed with artificial flows. You don't get the natural spring rise that's critically important for putting the nutrients and silt on the flood plains to allow cottonwood to grow. This is bad for bald eagles and blue herons. Poor dam management is also hurting the trout population in the Missouri," Smith said. Smith said proper dam management is the secret to protecting the Missouri. "It's much easier to live with a more natural river than it is with an altered river. We're not talking about raising river levels to a point where we're flooding people out, but even half a foot could make a difference," Smith said. Canyon Ferry is set to be relicensed in 2000 for energy use for the next 50 years. Concern for cottonwood habitat is included in the relicensing plan, according to Jon Jourdonnais, director of hydro-licensing for the Montana Power Company. Smith said the Missouri River is becoming the focus of more national attention because of the upcoming Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery bicentennial in 2005 "I think we can take steps big enough to get the river off the endangered list in the next two, three to four years," Smith said.

Updated: Tuesday, April 13, 1999
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