GREAT FALLS, Mont. (July 5, 2017) – A Montana federal district court judge today granted a temporary injunction halting construction of a concrete dam and bypass channel on the Yellowstone River until the court has an opportunity to hear and rule on the legal merits of the case.
Aaron Hall, Rockies and Plains Representative for Defenders of Wildlife, issued this statement:
“The ruling gives pallid sturgeon a chance at a future in the Yellowstone River. By granting the injunction, the court now has time to review the legality of this destructive project. We must stop this flawed dam-building plan that could doom the pallid sturgeon in its best remaining stronghold and replace it with a common-sense solution: a pumping system to provide irrigation water to neighboring farms and a free-flowing Yellowstone River to provide secure habitat for the fish.”
Matt Skoglund, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Northern Rockies office, issued this statement:
“There’s a price to pay when government ignores science: this proposed destructive dam on the Yellowstone River will cost the lives of the last wild pallid sturgeon. This injunction grants these ‘dinosaur fish’ a stay of execution as the court figures out the legality of this ecosystem-destroying project. During this time, I hope the government seriously considers the alternative win-win solution that would allow irrigators to get all of the water they need through pumps and other measures without building a fish-killing dam across the Yellowstone.”
Defenders of Wildlife is celebrating 75 years of protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.2 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit defenders.org/newsroom and follow us on Twitter @Defenders.
