- Game and Fish proposes instream flow rights for six Bighorn Forest streams.
- Purpose is to preserve Yellowstone cutthroat trout habitat.
- Hearings scheduled April 29 in Basin and April 30 in Dayton.
- Proposed rights cover 24 miles of headwater streams.
- If approved, they’ll join 123 existing Wyoming instream flow segments.
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is applying for instream flow water rights on six stream segments in the Bighorn National Forest to protect remaining populations of the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The streams lie entirely within U.S. Forest Service lands in the department’s Cody Region and total 24 miles of aquatic habitat.
The proposed stream segments include Buckskin Ed Creek, Cedar Creek, and Soldier Creek in the Nowood River Basin of Bighorn County; Trout Creek near the Wyoming-Montana border in northeast Bighorn County; and Lodge Grass Creek and the West Fork Little Bighorn River in northwest Sheridan County.
“Water is the most important part of fish habitat,” said Del Lobb, instream flow biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department
. “Maintaining adequate amounts of water in streams year-round is critical for maintaining and improving the long-term health of fish populations.”
Instream flow water rights allow the Department to legally ensure that a specified amount of water remains in the stream throughout the year, protecting the ecological needs of fish while also respecting existing water users. The rights are a tool for preserving both habitat and essential river functions.
According to Game and Fish, the Yellowstone cutthroat trout — a Wyoming Species of Greatest Conservation Need — now occupies only about 25% of its original range in the state. Factors such as habitat changes and competition from nonnative species have contributed to this reduction.
“Securing the water rights means the streams will continue to provide critical habitat for spawning, passage and year-round survival of Yellowstone cutthroat trout,” Lobb explained. “Protecting flows in these headwater streams will help conserve the remaining Wyoming populations of this species.”
The Department notes that the benefits of instream flow rights extend beyond fisheries. “Instream flow rights also help Wyoming’s tourism industry, which in large part depends on flowing streams that provide angling and boating opportunities and enhance sight-seeing, hiking, hunting and camping,” Lobb added.
The Wyoming Water Development Office, acting as the official applicant, prepared and submitted the six water rights applications to the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office. It also conducted a hydrologic feasibility study as part of the application process.
Public Hearings Scheduled This Month.
Two public hearings have been scheduled to present information and gather feedback on the proposed rights. The first hearing will take place at 9 a.m. on April 29 at the Big Horn County Fair Hall in Basin, covering Buckskin Ed, Cedar, and Soldier creeks. The second hearing will be held at 9 a.m. on April 30 at the Dayton Town Hall (Lucille Alley Room) for Trout Creek, Lodge Grass Creek, and the West Fork Little Bighorn River.
Recordings of the hearings will be made available to those unable to attend. The hearings mark a key milestone in Wyoming’s multi-step process for acquiring instream flow rights. If approved, these six stream segments will be added to the 123 instream flow segments already established across the state — covering 512 miles out of the more than 25,000 miles of fish-bearing streams in Wyoming.
Image via the Wyoming Game & Fish Department announcement.
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