The Big Eviction — Why Montana Is Shutting Down the Shields for a Week

The Big Eviction — Why Montana Is Shutting Down the Shields for a Week

August 5, 2026 by Angela Montana

This stream drama comes straight from a fresh Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks press release: the upper Shields River is officially host to a local reality show, and the invasive brook trout just got voted off the island.

FWP and the Custer Gallatin National Forest are doubling down on their ongoing mission to save the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout—a species fighting off habitat loss and unwanted brook trout crashers taking over their high-elevation northern stronghold.

Here is how the eviction process works:

The Rescue Mission: Crews head into Dugout Creek and surrounding streams to scoop up the native cutthroats and move them to temporary safe housing.
The Secret Weapon: Staff treat the water with rotenone—a fast-decomposing, plant-based toxicant—to clear out the invasive brook trout. Detox stations downstream ensure no other aquatic life gets caught in the crossfire.
The Aftermath: Once the water clears, the cutthroats will be returned to their bully-free paradise.

Heads up, folks: The entire upper Shields River drainage on National Forest lands is temporarily closed to recreational access from August 10 through August 18 so crews can work their magic safely.

It turns out nature restoration takes a little plant power, a temporary evacuation, and a week of total peace and quiet!

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