Governor Greg Gianforte has announced a collaborative agreement involving the state of Montana, Butte-Silver Bow (BSB), and Montana Resources (MR) to enhance water flow in the Clark Fork River. The arrangement, known as the 2021 Silver Lake Release Agreement, stipulates that BSB will release 32 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water from Silver Lake into Warm Springs Creek for a duration of 45 days starting August 5. This water will eventually reach the Clark Fork River.
Montana Resources, under its own agreement with BSB, requested an earlier start to these releases on August 2 to expedite the process. These initial releases have already taken place.
The project is financially supported by the state's Natural Resource Damage Program (NRDP) through the Upper Clark Fork River Basin Aquatic and Terrestrial Resources Restoration Plans established in 2019.
Further details about previous releases are available in the report titled "2019 Silver Lake Release Report."