The Important Work of the Henry's Fork Foundation
As a veteran guide with over 30 years of experience on the Henry’s Fork and throughout the Greater Yellowstone Region, and as a lifelong angler, I feel a deep connection to this area. I am proud to serve as a fly shop owner and outfitter here, and I am committed to running our business in a sustainable and respectful way. I’m also a father of two boys, ages 12 and 14, and a husband to a loving and incredibly tolerant wife. In addition to my personal and professional life, I am honored to be a board member of the Henry’s Fork Foundation (HFF). Today, I’m reaching out to you—my fellow anglers and outdoor enthusiasts—to ask for your support of an organization that is leading the way in water management practices in the Henry’s Fork, at the same time it is paving the way for rivers across the American West.
The Henry’s Fork: A River Like No Other
The Henry’s Fork of the Snake River is a river unlike any other I’ve known, its diversity and productivity provide an array of opportunities and sport that is simply unmatched in the world of flyfishing in the western United States. Its unique geology puts it into a class by itself, the headwaters are in the caldera created by the Yellowstone supervolcano some 1-2 million years ago, before the tectonic forces shifted and located the magma dome under what is now known as Yellowstone National Park. The plumbing system that was once used for lava flows, geysers, mud pots and fumaroles is what now makes up the piping of the Henry’s Fork’s many cold water springs. This all flows through the basin of the caldera and cuts through the rim into the prior supervolcano’s footprint created by an eruption roughly 4 million years ago. Older piping infrastructure feeds the river there, and so on. This particular history leaves behind an elemental substrate that is rich in minerals well-suited for the production of macroinvertebrate life, just the right building blocks for the life force that forms the backbone of the population of rainbow and brown trout that we love to pursue on the fly as well as the very insects that provide the food for the game. This geology provides us with ample and cold spring fed water, miles of low-gradient sections with glassy surfaces, roiling canyon waters that are full of oxygen and juvenile trout, relatively shallow and easily wade-able reaches, as well as some of the classiest and most challenging fishing that our fine sport has to offer.
The river is also a vital source of water for Idaho’s agriculture industry, a role that highlights the need for careful management practices. Thoughtful water management, grounded in science, ensures that both agricultural needs and recreational pursuits can coexist and thrive. This is no easy feat, but it’s made possible through collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to bettering the Henry's Fork resource.
A Global Icon in the Fly Fishing World
Having guided on waters around the world, I can say with certainty that no place compares to the Henry’s Fork. There are many world-class trout streams within a 100-mile radius of West Yellowstone, Montana—where I call home—but it’s most frequently the Henry’s Fork that anglers at a fishing lodge 6,000 miles across the globe talk about with reverence. It is simply an icon in the world of fly fishing and is, in my opinion, the most famed piece of fly water in the United States today. There is no question that the river is most known for 8 miles of its 80, the water we refer to as “The Railroad Ranch”. It is fickle, difficult, challenging and incredibly beautiful. It is also the most very fragile stretch of the entire river, it provides an experience that somehow always, even in the best of times, teeters on the brink of being absolutely epic or being a total failure. The dramatic memories that are made here can overshadow years of fly fishing experiences in other reaches and other areas, while the failures often fade quickly into the ether of memories long forgotten. It is both a simply beautiful piece of water enjoyed by all as well as a test piece for anglers who are dedicated to honing their craft. It can be enjoyed by anyone willing to take a proper beating in an unforgettable place and by the most discerning angler hoping to encounter the greatest and most engaging of challenges with a fly rod in hand. It is the kind of place that touches your soul, and those kinds of places are hard to find. When we anglers luck upon places like this, we must be willing to roll up our sleeves and fight to protect them, their values lie not only in the physical realm, but in the idealogical as well, even touching on the philosophical.
This is a place that needs protecting, its importance goes well beyond any given water year and any one particular year’s fishing log book. This is a place that exists in the hearts and minds of anglers, and as anglers we have a responsibility to ensure it continues to provide in the future what we have so fortunately received from it in the past. If I had to dream up an organization to be a steward of this great place, I would conjure up something that would look remarkably similar to the Henry’s Fork Foundation today; grassroots in origin, something that began with a few anglers that saw the light and what needed to be done to preserve it, an evolution that led to a development of infrastructure that helps us understand what we’re dealing with, and an organization with a staff of people whose lives are dedicated to monitoring and caring for it into the future. That’s what we get with the Henry’s Fork Foundation, and that’s what I hope every major ecosystem in the American West will have some day.
The Henry’s Fork Foundation: Leading the Way
The Henry’s Fork Foundation is a grassroots organization that has grown over the past 40 years into a leader in river conservation. What began with a few dedicated anglers has blossomed into a sophisticated operation that is making measurable, positive changes on the Henry’s Fork. The Foundation’s deep understanding of the river’s ecosystem, coupled with its ability to gather and analyze data, sets it apart from other organizations in the region.
While many groups are doing great work in the West, few have the depth of knowledge, the infrastructure, and the historical data that the HFF has on the Henry’s Fork. Thanks to this organization, we have 10-15 years of thorough water data that helps us understand the effects of erratic weather patterns and flow regimes throughout the system. This data comes from a network of sondes that measure flows, temperature, dissolved oxygen content, conductivity and turbidity in real time throughout the length of the river. This results in a comprehensive, scientific dataset that guides the HFF’s work and helps guide solutions to the challenges the river faces. This serves as the backbone of the infrastructure that informs not only current decisions but allows for adaptability into the future.
Why Support the Henry’s Fork Foundation?
I firmly believe that when you support the Henry’s Fork Foundation, you’re supporting more than just one river. You’re supporting the infrastructure and science that can serve as a model for other conservation efforts throughout the West. The Foundation’s work goes beyond maintaining the Henry's Fork for today's anglers; it is also about making sure the river continues to provide its resources for future generations.
The Value of Precision Water Management
As a child of the desert who grew up in southeast Arizona and in the era of Marc Reisner’s book “Cadillac Desert”, water conservation and an awareness of its diminishing supply is in my DNA. I grew up with a 2 minute shower mandate, native desert landscaping and an ever-shrinking water table. Water quantity was an issue for me when I was 10 years old and it’s an issue today as I look towards the (almost) ripe age of 50.
The HFF has had an impressive impact with the development of their Precision Water Management program. Their work here is celebrated and highly regarded by water managers nation-wide. While the Henry's Fork Foundation can't make more water, it has helped water managers and irrigators manage the water we have more precisely, through improved stream and canal gaging, modern irrigation infrastructure, and more accurate water supply forecasts. This program has saved an average of 23,000 acre feet of water in Island Park Reservoir, which directly results in an additional 500 age-2 trout per mile added to the fishable population every year. This is a huge success story, made possible by donations and grants to the Foundation. These practices are now part of the infrastructure that we reap the benefits from every year.
The Importance of Collaboration: Farms, Fish and Agencies
While the Henry’s Fork might hold a respectable place in the hearts and minds of the global flyfishing community, water managers in far-away places that lie downstream necessarily view it as an irrigation ditch, a conduit for moving water from the snow-laden high country to the low country downstream in order to provide water for agriculture. As anglers and people who generally love the outdoors, we are citizens who celebrate farmers and farming, for the connection it brings humanity to the land, the food we depend on, and the necessity of life it provides. We do not negate the need for the water that nurtures our population in this country, we seek to collaborate with our farming neighbors to ensure that we can all operate in the most efficient manner. The Henry’s Fork Foundation’s collaborative work with farmers and local, regional and state-wide water managers is unprecedented and should be both supported and celebrated. This work includes funding both soil structure improvement projects for better moisture retention and providing irrigation systems modifications to reduce evapotranspiration. Collaboration is the key, if we anglers wish to see improvement, we must be willing to participate not only in the ideas but in the funding. We must be willing to put our money where our mouth is. Lead here, others will follow, and future generations will benefit.
This doesn't end with farmers and water managers, working with local agencies to share information and develop a deeper understanding of the Henry's Fork is part of it as well. This commitment to collaboration was recently highlighted when Idaho Fish and Game agreed to adopt the HFF’s population estimates for the Box Canyon based on the Foundation’s understanding of population-limiting factors in the upper river. This is a huge affirmation of the Foundation's work and a clear example of the trust it has earned from agencies in the region.
What's On the Horizon: A Deep Dive into Water Quality, DIRTT
Developing Infrastructure to Reduce Temperature and Turbidity. This is the latest project moving forward. Systems for monitoring and recording data have been developed and established. Water quantity issues have been addressed and optimized. The factors which determine populations and limiting factors thereof have been delineated. Water quality is the final frontier and represents the horizon of the work to come. Development, recreational use, agricultural needs and a warming climate are all factors that necessitate the need to crack open Pandora’s Box. This issue is one that affects every major river in the United States, and the work we do here and the lessons we have learned/will learn will pay dividends across the nation. The DIRTT project addresses progressive ways to reduce water temperature by mapping out thermal refuges for trout and supplementing those sources for payout in critical times of the year. It also involves a deep study on Island Park Reservoir to better understand thermal dynamics and how water moves through the reservoir system under various influences of wind, weather, and recreation. We have reservoirs throughout the west that will benefit from the this effort. This work directly influences your fishing experience and is focused on making it better for the future by adapting to a changing climate with warmer temperatures and less water.
“This work directly influences your fishing experience and is focused on making it better.” How many organizations can claim that in a truthful statement? Our managing agencies are committed to maintaining a biologically sound resource, but do not necessarily engage in what it takes to enhance the angling experience. The Henry’s Fork Foundation directly works towards this. Some of the work on hatches and macroinvertebrates is helping us understand the changes in what we’re seeing in the day to day on the river. Imagine an organization of scientists, employees, and volunteers that is actively dedicated to working to not only look after and understand this river, but to make your angling experience better. This is what you get when you support the Henry’s Fork Foundation. You are contributing to the bettering of the angling experience on the Henry’s Fork and also to the collective knowledge of managing agencies in the Western United States. Your contributions will grow roots and legs.
Supporting the Henry’s Fork Foundation
There are many ways to support the Henry’s Fork Foundation, whether through membership, donations, volunteering your time, or simply by becoming more informed about the work they’re doing. I encourage you to become a member if you aren't one already, be a part of some of the important work that is being done here. This Saturday, the HFF will host one of its largest fundraising events of the year on the banks of the river near the top of the Railroad Ranch. If you’re in the area, I hope you'll join us. Let’s work together to protect the Henry’s Fork and the future of water management in the American West.
Your support matters. Let’s make sure that the Henry’s Fork continues to inspire generations of anglers to come. Thanks for reading this!
