Dear Editor: The Jefferson River Cannot Advocate for Itself

Dear Editor,

As I get ready to depart for Alaska, where I guide, I felt the need to write this letter to the editor or to whom it may concern as a reminder of what could be happening this summer in Montana.

As another hot Montana summer approaches, many of us in the Jefferson River Valley are watching the river levels with growing concern. The Jefferson is more than just water moving through a channel - it supports agriculture, recreation, wildlife, and the livelihoods of countless local families. Every summer, however, the strain on the river becomes harder to ignore.

No one is denying the im...