Jack C. Mauer has more than a thirty year investment in fishing, floating and wading the waters of western Montana. He is intimately acquainted with the surrounding fisheries and their corresponding ecologies. It is his passion and enthusiasm for the art of fly fishing, a respect and knowledge of trout habitat, and the ability to expertly instruct the technical aspects of fly fishing that clients appreciate as they return to western Montana and Wapiti Waters. Contact Jack at 800-254-5311.
2012 spring runoff has begun in Bitterroot River late April
Air temperatures were in the 70 degree range beginning about April 20.
These photos were taken April 24. Look at the graphs and you can see how
the rivers have been rising. The last two days the Bitterroot Valley
air temperatures have been over 80 degrees. These photos were taken when
Bell Crossing flows were at about 4,700 cubic feet per second (cfs) - 2
pm. Right now it is 6:30 pm and the flows at Bell Crossing are at 5,480
cfs. That is a big jump. The gauge downriver (north) near Missoula
measured 8,190 cfs at 8:45 am and now at 6:30 pm it is measuring 9,280
cfs - closing in on 10,000 cfs!!!
The snowpack in the Bitterroot River Basin earlier this month was over 100%. Today it is 89%.
The photos are all taken from Bell Crossing starting upriver looking
southwest and rotating counter-clockwise to the east, then south,
finally southwest into the parking lot. As I was there, a LOT of large
woody debris was moving down the river.
Nice post! Thanks a lot for sharing these lovely photos.
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