The 294 km section of the Yellowstone River, as well as hundreds of kilometers of adjacent waterways, were closed to the public on Friday August 19 due to massive fish deaths.
The 294 km section of the Yellowstone River, as well as hundreds of kilometers of adjacent waterways, were closed to the public on Friday 19 August due to massive fish deaths. The ban applies to fishing, rafting, boating and other activities until scientists establish the cause of the environmental disaster.
As of August 19, representatives of the Montana Fish Farms, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) department counted more than 4,000 dead fish along the river's coast, but it is believed that the total number of dead fish is estimated at tens of thousands. Most of the dead fish are mountain whitefish, but the fish found include rainbow trout and Yellowstone trout, species that are important to the region's fishing industry.
According to MFWP spokesman Andrea Jones, such an event is unprecedented in scale. “We have never seen anything like this in Montana,” says the specialist.
The ban on access to the river could last for several months if fish continue to die. Such a move could have disastrous consequences for the tourism industry in Montana, which largely lives off tourists during the summer season.