Committed to Collaboration

Community involvement is key to successful management of the Madison River System.

By Jo Dee Black

Managing the Madison River System’s resources is a constant exercise of balance. NorthWestern Energy relies on data and forecasting tools, the expertise, experience and input of our partners, and tested best practices to meet the diverse needs and many interests and priorities of multiple stakeholders year-round.

Drought, flooding and mechanical failure over the last year created added challenges to the work of protecting and maintaining the longterm health of the river system and fishery.

“The Madison River System is a community of diverse members, partner agencies and stakeholders,” said NorthWestern Energy Director of Hydro Operations Jeremy Clotfelter. “A critical piece to creating a successful balance for the management of this river system is the dedication and investment of these members, and that valuable dedication was on display through this past year.”

Low snowpack and little spring rain and snow, followed by a hot, dry June and July in 2021 resulted in low water levels at Hebgen Reservoir at the end of July. With almost daily pulse flows required downstream at Madison Dam to maintain water temperatures at a safe level for fish in the lower Madison River, property owners in the Hebgen Lake area and recreationalists were cautioned to expect low water levels through the end of year.

A diver with Associated Underwater Services prepares to make a repair on the gate at Hebgen Dam.

On Nov. 30, 2021, a coupling on a gate at Hebgen Dam failed, causing the gate to partially close, reducing water flow into the Madison River downstream. While NorthWestern Energy’s hydro engineers and personnel from across the state worked around the clock to identify the cause of the Madison River flow reduction, NorthWestern Energy and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks mobilized volunteers to protect the fishery.

Fish stranded by the Madison River’s low water level were moved to deeper channels, while NorthWestern Energy personnel worked with a professional dive team to assess the gate failure and make repairs. The gate was repaired and outflows to the Madison River were restored 46 hours later, just before midnight on Dec. 1, 2021.

Although the Madison River community rang in 2022 with hopes of a solid snowpack to replenish low reservoirs and streams, by the beginning of April, a second challenging season of drought with too little water to fully meet the needs of the system seemed inevitable.

NorthWestern Energy worked with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other stakeholders on options to conserve water.

A crane is used at Hebgen Dam to make repairs on the dam’s gate.

Snowpack in the Madison River Basin was at 76% of normal levels. Water releases at Hebgen Dam were reduced in April to capture more water in Hebgen Reservoir, conserving it to supplement flows during the heat of the summer to reduce stress on fish.

More than 70 community members, business owners and other stakeholders met on April 26 in Ennis to hear presentations on the snowpack/runoff forecasts, fish population status, Madison fisheries TAC projects and more from NorthWestern Energy staff and other stakeholders. It was also an opportunity to hear concerns and receive feedback.

Then, the last weeks of May brought above-average precipitation, capped off with several days of substantial quantities of rain and snow.

In mid-June, while historic flooding impacted a widespread area of southern Montana, Hebgen Reservoir water levels rose rapidly and water releases increased to prevent overfilling.

“Hebgen Reservoir levels are monitored and managed year-round to prevent the reservoir from over-filling, which would compromise the integrity of the dam, risk public safety and violate our Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license,” Jeremy said. “The situation that occurred this spring is exactly why careful management is critical.”

A couple of weeks later, the newly assembled Madison River Drought Management Stakeholder Engagement team held the initial meeting. Members represent anglers, outfitters, businesses, property owners, agriculture, partner agencies and NorthWestern Energy, who meet monthly with a professional facilitator to discuss concerns and operating constraints with the goal of improving understanding, communications and potentially identifying different operations to improve conditions during dry, low-water years.

“The commitment of the members of this new team to the work of this project is commendable,” said NorthWestern Energy Director of Environmental & Lands Permitting & Compliance Mary Gail Sullivan. “Their collaboration is helping identify management tools that will be of great value for all stakeholders.”

Crews hold a safety meeting before beginning the repairs on Hebgen Dam.

NorthWestern Energy’s analysis and corrective action plan for the Nov. 30, 2021, Hebgen Dam gate failure, along with how the effect of the incident on the fish population will be assessed, was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the federal licensing authority for NorthWestern Energy’s Missouri-Madison Hydroelectric Project.

The four couplings on the originally failed gate at Hebgen Dam were replaced in September. Inspection of additional couplings on a separate gate have led to their replacement as well.

Fishery monitoring, including electrofishing surveys of the Madison River below Hebgen Dam, has increased, along with long-term fish population estimating work.

Working with our resource agency and non-governmental organization partners, including Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, Trout Unlimited, Madison Conservation District, Madison River Foundation and other local entities, projects to mitigate streambank erosion, including new fencing to keep cattle out of streambeds on tributaries of the Madison River, were identified.

“The Hebgen Dam gate failure didn’t create a situation that caused an entire year-class of fish to be lost,” said NorthWestern Energy Manager Hydro License Compliance Andy Welch.

The monitoring and mitigation plan approved by FERC enhances what is already in place to support the Madison River fish population with our partners, Andy explained. FERC agreed this is the right work for the long-term health of the fishery.

“The Madison River System community is committed to and invested in the work required to meet challenges, collaborate on longterm management plans and find solutions that best meet the diverse interests of its members,” Jeremy said. “NorthWestern Energy is honored to be part of this community.”