CARBON COUNTY — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is working to acquire two senior water rights along the West Fork of Rock Creek near Red Lodge to address critically low water levels that are threatening the fish population.

The creek, which flows around the Red Lodge community, may appear full to casual observers, but wildlife officials say the flow is dangerously low for fish survival.

Watch FWP discuss the need for these water rights for Rock Creek:

Montana FWP seeking water rights for Rock Creek

“To have these water levels, it can have an impact on the fishery over there,” Chrissy Webb with Fish, Wildlife and Parks said. “Over the past few years, we’ve been seeing really low water levels for these trout, which is obviously a huge issue. Fish, of course, need water.”

The proposed solution involves purchasing two senior water rights that were previously used for irrigation and transferring them to remain in the stream for fishery protection.

“This would be water that was once diverted for irrigation. Those water rights would transfer to remain in the stream for the protection of this fishery,” Webb said.

Acquiring water rights is a complex process, but Webb emphasized the urgency of the situation. Without intervention, the fish population could decline quickly.

“We need water levels to be at a certain level for fish to survive. And we need water temperatures to be low enough for these trout to survive. And then, like I said, some places in Rock Creek have even experienced total dewatering of the stream bed,” Webb said.

FWP plans to purchase the water rights for $330,000. The process involves the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation

“They’re working with the owner of those water rights to transfer their purpose from irrigation to being in stream flows,” Webb said.

The DNRC will ultimately decide whether FWP has the authority to purchase the water rights. The access to water would come from Giant Springs in Great Falls.

Michael Downey with the DNRC said mid to low elevation areas are particularly lacking adequate stream levels, but is confident they will rise as the year continues.

“If you look at where snowpack is right now, even those places that are below normal, certainly that Rock Creek drainage is probably the one in the area that looks worse than most,” Downey said.

On Feb. 12, the DNRC will decide if the FWP has the authority to purchase those water rights.

Thousands of residents across parts of California, Nevada, Oregon, and South Dakota have been advised to stay indoors, as levels of fine particle pollution (PM2.5) will have reached “unhealthy” levels as of January 12, 2026, at 6 a.m. ET, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) AirNow Map shows. 

The EPA is urging people in sensitive groups, including the elderly, children, and those with certain health conditions, to completely avoid prolonged or intense outdoor activities. Everyone else should reduce their participation in long or intense outdoor pursuits. 

This is because physical activity causes people to breathe harder and faster, which means the fine particulate matter can penetrate deeper into the lungs if people are exercising outdoors. 

The EPA warns, “Your chances of being affected by particles increase the more strenuous your activity and the longer you are active outdoors. If your activity involves prolonged or heavy exertion, reduce your activity time—or substitute another that involves less exertion. Go for a walk instead of a jog, for example.”

What Do ‘Unhealthy’ Levels of PM2.5 Mean? 

PM2.5 are tiny, inhalable particles of pollution, 2.5 micrometers or less in size (smaller than a strand of hair), that are considered to be one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution, according to the EPA. 

This is because they get deep into the lungs—and sometimes even the bloodstream—triggering or exacerbating certain health conditions, like asthma, or causing symptoms ranging from coughing and nose, eye, and throat irritation to shortness of breath and chest tightness. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses the Air Quality Index (AQI) to report and classify air quality across the United States. The AQI is a standardized scale ranging from 0 to 301+, which categorizes air quality into the following levels:

• Good: 0 to 50—Air pollution poses little or no risk to the public
  
• Moderate: 51 to 100—Some pollutants may pose a moderate health concern for a very small number of unusually sensitive people
  
• Unhealthy for sensitive groups: 101 to 150—Members of sensitive groups (children, elderly, people with respiratory or heart conditions) may experience health effects; the general public is less likely to be affected
  
• Unhealthy: 151 to 200—Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious effects
  
• Very Unhealthy: 201 to 300—Everyone may experience more serious health effects
  
• Hazardous: 301+—Health warnings of emergency conditions; the entire population is likely to be affected

What Causes PM2.5?

PM2.5 can come from a variety of sources, ranging from wildfires and smokestacks to emissions from vehicles and power or industrial plants.