Today in Helena

Government

DEQ Declares Big Hole River Impaired, a Blow to Guides and Anglers Who Depend on It

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has formally determined that the Big Hole River is impaired, a designation that follows years of documented water quality decline and sustained legal pressure from environmental advocacy groups. For the guides, outfitters, and anglers who treat the Big Hole as one of the state's crown jewel fisheries, the ruling is an official acknowledgment of what many have been watching happen in real time.