Over 300 acres of wetland meadows in the Big Hole River have been transferred to the U.S. Forest Service for permanent conservation.
The Clemow Cow Camp was purchased by the Western Rivers Conservancy in 2022. It is the second property in the watershed the conservancy has transferred to the service this month.
Located south of Wisdom, the Clemow Cow Camp contains two high mountain creeks that eventually drain into the Big Hole River. The river has been hit hard by high temperatures and low flows, pushing its trout populations to historic lows.
The Forest Service will now attempt to put its two new acquisitions to work boosting water levels in the river. That includes managing both properties’ water rights to flood irrigate meadows during the spring, so water can slowly seep back into the river in the summer.
