Side Channel Restoration

Why Side Channels?

Why are we reconnecting historic side channels on the Madison River? Because the science tells us they matter.

Research on the Madison has documented limited sources of spawning gravel and a highly mobile streambed. Islands and side channels create lower-velocity areas that help retain gravel while providing important spawning, rearing, overwintering, and refuge habitat for trout. FWP research has also found a suggestive positive relationship between island and side channel density and the abundance of trout over 16 inches.

Our side channel restoration work is designed around this research and is being developed in close coordination with fisheries biologists, river scientists, engineers, and our agency partners. We're not creating habitat for the sake of creating habitat. We're restoring river processes and habitat features that research has identified as important to the Madison River fishery.

Want to dig into the science yourself? We encourage you to take a look:

FWP Madison River Drainage 2188 Project Monitoring Report, 2024
Summarizes the science behind side channel restoration, including findings from the Madison River sediment mobility assessment, gravel availability, fish habitat, and FWP's evaluation of potential restoration sites.

FWP Madison River Drainage 2188 Project Monitoring Report, 2021
Includes FWP's analysis of Madison River habitat features and trout abundance, including the relationship between islands, side channels, and larger trout.

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 $335,000 needed for this first phase. We are now working to secure the remaining $25,000.

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.