LOW FLOWS: THE NEW NORMAL? Low flow years like we saw on the Blackfoot River in 2007 are becoming more and more common: an early pulse of runoff after a warm spell in March, followed by peak flows in early May—weeks ahead of the historic average peak flow.  Then, with most of the snow gone from our mountaintops, a long period of below-average flow from late-June through September. Long-term streamflow trends in the Clark Fork basin are still hard to decipher from the substantial year-to-year variation.  But the flow data from our basin and from around the northern Rockies all point toward earlier runoff in the spring

Earlier and faster spring runoff means less water storage in the mountains, less recharge for our aquifers, and less groundwater keeping streams cool during hot, dry summers. If this trend continues, our streams will become warmer, significantly changing the habitat for fish and other aquatic life.   With drier summers predicted ahead, we need to consider new ways to carefully manage our precious water supply between all the different users, including fish and wildlife.