Side Channel Restoration

The Madison River Foundation is undertaking a restoration project to rehabilitate historic side-channels along the upper Madison River, which may have once served as important spawning habitat for trout, strengthened macroinvertabrate communities, and provided habitat for reptiles, birds and mammals.

Background & Groundwork

In 2024, Northwestern Energy, Montana FWP, and Geum Environmental completed a detailed geomorphology survey. In 2025, we partnered with Geum to dig test pits and confirm where trout were actually spawning. With that groundwork in place, restoration will begin in fall 2026 at two priority sites: Hyde Creek and Morgan Gulch.

How Sites Were Ranked

Both sites rose to the top through a practical ranking system that evaluated:

• Land ownership and long-term access

• Existing vegetation and overall channel health

• Feasible channel length and design potential

• Excavation quantities and construction feasibility

• Permitting needs and regulatory considerations

• Availability of suitable spawning substrate

• Input from fisheries biologists at Northwestern Energy and Montana FWP

Priority Sites

• Morgan Gulch: Morgan Gulch offers a clean, efficient design with minimal impact on healthy wetlands.

• Hyde Creek: Hyde Creek promises the greatest ecological return, excellent access, and strong potential for long-term spawning success.

• Completing these two sites in 2026 will give us a strong pilot phase and real-world experience before moving on to more complex channels.

Funding

Through grants and private support, we have raised $310,000 of the $450,000 needed for this first phase. We are now working to secure the remaining $140,000.

Your donation will directly restore critical spawning habitat, strengthen the river’s resilience, and help ensure healthy trout populations, and great fishing, for generations to come.

*Conservation work on the Madison River, featured in The Madison series, requires sustained stewardship, restoration, and education.