Breaking News: Portions of Yellowstone River Reopened

Two portions of the Yellowstone River were reopened this afternoon by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission due to the "improvement of environmental conditions,"according to the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks website.
The first section reopened has been tabbed "Section 1" and includes the Yellowstone River and all of its tributaries from the northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, to the Carbella Fishing Access Site. There is still no fishing allowed in this section. Biologist will float this section on Sept. 6 and if there is no evidence of damaging changes to the fishery, it will be open for all recreational purposes on Sept. 8, according to the website.
"Section 2" has been identified the Carbella BLM Fishing Access Site downstream to the Highway 89 Bridge Fishing Access Site near Livingston. This remains closed to all recreation. However the tributaries in that area – Armstrong, Depuy’s, and Nelson’s Spring Creeks – are once again open.
"Section 3" includes the river and all its tributaries from the Highway 89 Bridge to the Highway 212 bridge in Laurel. The entire section is now open for all uses with the exception of the Shields River and all of its tributaries, according to the website.
“Recognizing the value of the fishery, the Commission is restoring appropriate and beneficial uses of the Yellowstone River system as quickly as is prudent, given the unprecedented nature of the event,” said Commission chairman Dan Vermillion.

HISTORY
Two weeks ago the entire river and its tributaries were shut down due to the emergence of a deadly parasite that has to date claimed a known 4,000 whitefish.
FWP’s Andrea Jones said Wednesday morning that some recent testing had shown the presence of the parasite downstream of the 100 miles that has been hardest hit – which is from Yellowstone National Park’s border in Gardiner to the Grey Bear Fishing Access.
Jones stressed the importance that although some fish have tested positive for the parasite, that does not mean they have the prolific kidney disease it often causes.
Test results from the Boulder and Stillwater Rivers are not in yet.
According to the FWP press release, the following information has also been learned:
•Last week, tests were performed on trout collected at spring creeks along the upper Yellowstone (10 trout from each) close to the area experiencing the highest level of whitefish mortality. Two brown trout from Nelson’s Spring Creek tested positive for the presence of the parasite, while all other fish (13 rainbow trout and 15 brown trout) tested negative. It is important to make the distinction that a positive test for the parasite doesn’t mean the fish is diseased.
There was no evidence of disease detected at these locations (despite the parasite being identified as present in one location) and no mortality documented. All the samples tested were healthy and alive when collected.
Tests were also performed on whitefish samples collected at the mouth of the Boulder River, at Holmgren Ranch FAS near Columbus, and at Laurel where 11 whitefish tested positive. From these same downstream locations, three rainbow trout tested positive, one tested negative.
FWP has confirmed the fish kill as far upstream as near the border of Yellowstone National Park to Grey Bear Fishing Access Site (west of Big Timber) – nearly 100 river miles.
Samples collected of live, dying and dead fish since Aug. 13 were sent to, and have been processed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bozeman Fish Health Center.