Fisher River (Montana)
Encyclopedia
The Fisher River is a tributary
of the Kootenay River
(spelled Kootenai in the United States) in the U.S. state
of Montana
. The Fisher River properly begins at the confluence of its two main tributaries, the Pleasant Valley Fisher River and the Silver Butte Fisher River. Of the two tributaries, the Pleasant Valley Fisher River is the larger and is sometimes considered part of the Fisher River proper. A variant name of the Fisher River is Pleasant Valley River, and a variant name of the Pleasant Valley Fisher River is Fisher River.
The river is part of the Columbia River
basin, being a tributary of the Kootenay River, which is tributary to the Columbia River.
near Little Bitterroot Lake
in Flathead County, Montana
and flows northwest through Lost Prairie valley. It is joined by Pleasant Valley Creek just before crossing into Lincoln County, Montana
, where the river flows southwest, through Loon Lake and Little Loon Lake, to join the Silver Butte Fisher River, forming the Fisher River proper.
Silver Butte Fisher River originates in the Cabinet Mountains
and flows about 14 miles (22.5 km) northeast to join the Pleasant Valley Fisher River.
Downriver of the Pleasant Valley and Silver Butte confluence, the Fisher River flows generally north, picking up several tributaries including West Fisher Creek, Cow Creek, Wolf Creek, Fawn Creek, and Buck Creek, before emptying into the Kootenai River a few miles below Libby Dam
and a few miles above Libby, Montana
.
Part of Pleasant Valley Fisher River is paralleled by U.S. Route 2
. The BNSF Railway
's line through Flathead Tunnel
and Marias Pass
follows part of the lower Fisher River and its tributary Wolf Creek.
Much of the land of the Fisher River basin is privately owned, but a large portion lies within Kootenai National Forest
.
and Moyie River
. This has resulted in water quality impairment, stream channel degradation, and a relatively high amount of fine sediment in the water.
In the late 1960s, the Great Northern Railway (BNSF today) was rerouted along the lower ten miles (16 km) of Fisher River and most of Wolf Creek, a tributary. The streams were channelized and shortened during this time. Portions of Pleasant Valley Fisher River have also been channelized and shortened along U.S. Highway 2. All of these things negatively impact fish habitat in the Fisher River basin.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Kootenay River
Kootenay River
The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
(spelled Kootenai in the United States) in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. The Fisher River properly begins at the confluence of its two main tributaries, the Pleasant Valley Fisher River and the Silver Butte Fisher River. Of the two tributaries, the Pleasant Valley Fisher River is the larger and is sometimes considered part of the Fisher River proper. A variant name of the Fisher River is Pleasant Valley River, and a variant name of the Pleasant Valley Fisher River is Fisher River.
The river is part of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
basin, being a tributary of the Kootenay River, which is tributary to the Columbia River.
Course
The Pleasant Valley Fisher River originates in the Salish MountainsSalish Mountains
The Salish Mountains are located in the northwest corner of the U.S. State of Montana....
near Little Bitterroot Lake
Little Bitterroot Lake
Little Bitterroot Lake is a small lake in northwest Montana. It is located in the town of Marion, Montana....
in Flathead County, Montana
Flathead County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail * Flathead National Forest * Glacier National Park * Kootenai National Forest * Lolo National Forest * Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
and flows northwest through Lost Prairie valley. It is joined by Pleasant Valley Creek just before crossing into Lincoln County, Montana
Lincoln County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail *Flathead National Forest *Kaniksu National Forest *Kootenai National Forest -Demographics:...
, where the river flows southwest, through Loon Lake and Little Loon Lake, to join the Silver Butte Fisher River, forming the Fisher River proper.
Silver Butte Fisher River originates in the Cabinet Mountains
Cabinet Mountains
The Cabinet Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains, located in northwest Montana and the Idaho panhandle, in the United States. The mountains cover an area of 2,134 square miles...
and flows about 14 miles (22.5 km) northeast to join the Pleasant Valley Fisher River.
Downriver of the Pleasant Valley and Silver Butte confluence, the Fisher River flows generally north, picking up several tributaries including West Fisher Creek, Cow Creek, Wolf Creek, Fawn Creek, and Buck Creek, before emptying into the Kootenai River a few miles below Libby Dam
Libby Dam
Libby Dam is a dam on the Kootenai River in the U.S. state of Montana.Dedicated on August 24, 1975, Libby Dam spans the Kootenai River upstream from the town of Libby, Montana. Libby Dam is tall and long. Lake Koocanusa is the name of the reservoir behind the dam; it extends upriver from...
and a few miles above Libby, Montana
Libby, Montana
Libby is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,626 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Libby is located at , along U.S. Route 2....
.
Part of Pleasant Valley Fisher River is paralleled by U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2 is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada...
. The BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
's line through Flathead Tunnel
Flathead Tunnel
The Flathead Tunnel is a 7.01-mile railroad tunnel in the Rocky Mountains approximately 42 miles to the west of Whitefish, Montana. It is the second-longest tunnel in the United States...
and Marias Pass
Marias Pass
Marias Pass is a high mountain pass near Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana in the United States.The pass traverses the continental divide in the Lewis Range, along the boundary between the Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Flathead National Forest...
follows part of the lower Fisher River and its tributary Wolf Creek.
Much of the land of the Fisher River basin is privately owned, but a large portion lies within Kootenai National Forest
Kootenai National Forest
Kootenai National Forest is located in the far northwestern section of Montana and the northeasternmost lands in the Idaho panhandle, United States along the Canadian border. Of the 2.2 million acres administered by the forest, less than 3 percent is located in the state of Idaho. Forest...
.
Natural history
The Fisher River's drainage basin has experienced higher levels of mining and logging operations than other nearby tributaries of the Kootenai River, such as the Yaak RiverYaak River
The Yaak River is a tributary of the Kootenay River in the U.S. state of Montana and the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:...
and Moyie River
Moyie River
The Moyie River is a tributary of the Kootenai River in the U.S. state of Idaho and the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Moyie River is part of the Columbia River basin, being a tributary of the Kootenay River, which is tributary to the Columbia River.-Course:The Moyie River originates...
. This has resulted in water quality impairment, stream channel degradation, and a relatively high amount of fine sediment in the water.
In the late 1960s, the Great Northern Railway (BNSF today) was rerouted along the lower ten miles (16 km) of Fisher River and most of Wolf Creek, a tributary. The streams were channelized and shortened during this time. Portions of Pleasant Valley Fisher River have also been channelized and shortened along U.S. Highway 2. All of these things negatively impact fish habitat in the Fisher River basin.
History
According to the USGS, variant names for the Fisher River include: Bank Creek, Ma-su-la Creek, Pleasant Valley Fisher River, and Pleasant Valley River. Variant names for the Pleasant Valley Fisher River include: Bank Creek, Fisher Creek, Fisher River, Pleasant Valley Creek, and Pleasant Valley River. Variant names for the Silver Butte Fisher River include: East Fisher Creek, Fisher Creek, Galena Creek, Silver Butte Creek, Silver Butte River, West Fisher Creek, and West Fork Fisher Creek.See also
- List of rivers of Montana
- Tributaries of the Columbia RiverTributaries of the Columbia RiverTributaries and sub-tributaries are hierarchically listed in order from the mouth of the Columbia River upstream. Major dams and reservoir lakes are also noted.-Minor tributaries:* Skipanon River * Lewis and Clark River * Youngs River...
- Montana Stream Access LawMontana Stream Access LawThe Montana Stream Access Law says that anglers, floaters and other recreationists in Montana have full use of most natural waterways between the high water marks for fishing and floating, along with swimming and other river or stream-related activities...