American Rivers | Northern Rockies

The Northern Rockies are home to some of the most pristine free-flowing rivers and native trout fisheries left in the lower 48 states, from the Crown of the Continent along the U.S.- Canadian border south to the Greater Yellowstone where the Missouri, Snake and Green rivers are born.

These rivers are defined by their wild, free-flowing character, clean water, abundant fish and wildlife, and world-class recreation opportunities. All of the native fish that were present here two centuries ago can still be found here today, including five subspecies of cutthroat trout, bull trout, rainbow trout, and white sturgeon.

Among the iconic wildlife species that call these rivers home are grizzly bears, gray wolves, wolverine, lynx, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, moose, elk and deer.

These rivers generate billions of dollars annually in the form of outdoor recreation, hydroelectric production, agricultural irrigation and water for industrial uses. Overshadowing all of these values are the ecosystem services these rivers provide such as clean drinking water for people, critical habitat for fish and wildlife, and natural flood control in the form of intact wetlands and floodplains.