The Great River Barometer
By Alex Hibala - This recording is live from the 2023 Bitterroot Climate Story event in partnership with Bitterroot Climate Action Group in Hamilton, MT.
“The river, this river is special. All of them in this state are special. It’s not anywhere in the West that you get to find this many freestone fish living wild. Wild fish adapting to the environment as best as they can. They deserve some protection and a little bit of forethought.”
Alex Hibala has been a guide in Western Montana since 2006. A veteran of several Montana rivers, Alex has guided the Bitterroot, Big Hole, Blackfoot and Missouri rivers in all seasons and conditions. He has experienced first-hand the effects of warming waters on the cycle of rivers and how this affects fish, wildlife, and the industries that rely on them.
Alex serves on the Board of the Bitteroot Water Partnership. Alex joined the BWP Board to better support preservation of the unique fishery that is the Bitterroot River as well as fostering understanding between the different communities that rely on it. Protection of the habitat that underlies the valleys watershed is fundamental to what makes it such a special place to live.
When Alex is off the river, he helps his partner run a restoration nursery where they see the impacts of extreme weather in the Montana agricultural industry.
