In southwest Montana, Western Rivers Conservancy just launched an effort to conserve the last remaining private inholding on Racetrack Creek, a large headwater tributary to Montana’s Upper Clark Fork River. In the early days of 2023, we signed an agreement to purchase a remote 121-acre property called The Oxbows to protect prime fish and wildlife habitat and prevent development next to the only public campground and recreation site in the area.
Racetrack Creek runs clear and cold from the high mountain lakes of the Flint Creek Range and flows for 23 miles before joining the mighty Clark Fork, Montana’s largest river by volume. Much of the upper creek is protected within the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The Oxbows property that WRC is working to conserve contains a mile of the creek and is spread across a scenic, shallow canyon with willow-covered wetlands, densely forested hillsides and dramatic mountain vistas in every direction.
The Oxbows is located where upper Racetrack Creek changes from a high-altitude headwater creek to a slower meandering stream. This transition zone makes for prime rearing habitat for westslope cutthroat trout and potential habitat for endangered bull trout. A few miles below the property, however, lower Racetrack Creek is heavily diverted for irrigation and even dries up in its lowest reaches in late summer, making those healthy upper stretches inaccessible. But thanks to the efforts of an organization called the Clark Fork Coalition, Racetrack Creek is on the cusp of becoming a perennially flowing stream once again.
After gaining control of a water right in a headwater storage lake, CFC has been working to restore flows to Racetrack Creek, which will allow fish to move upstream to cooler water. As the lower stretch of the creek recovers and fish can again reach the cold, oxygen-rich water of The Oxbows, it’s more important than ever to ensure this life-giving habitat remains healthy. By purchasing and permanently conserving The Oxbows property in partnership with the US Forest Service, Western Rivers Conservancy can do exactly that.
With its mix of open grasslands and dense forests, the property supports diverse wildlife, including moose, mule deer, elk, grizzly bears and wolves. The entire Flint Creek Range is an important connection for large animals moving between the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the south and the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem to the north, so protecting prime habitat like the grasslands and forests along upper Racetrack Creek is critical.
In addition to its superb fish and wildlife habitat, The Oxbows lies immediately adjacent to the Racetrack Campground and Picnic Area, the only recreation site in the area. This spot is popular during hunting season, and campers enjoy access to trout fishing on Racetrack Creek. Were the property to be developed, it would have a significant negative impact on the campground and the surrounding natural landscape.
WRC plans to purchase The Oxbows and convey it to the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, keeping a pristine reach of upper Racetrack Creek permanently intact for fish and wildlife. Ensuring these riverlands remain undeveloped will be a big win for fish and wildlife, and for all those who set out to explore and enjoy this rugged corner of Big Sky Country.
