Every year, thousands of people float down the Madison, and that number continues to increase every year. So I spoke with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) about what they’re doing to manage the masses.
“Do you guys come floating here often?” I asked Chase and Jessica, a brother/sister duo from Denver.
They told me, “Every year, I’d say,” and “Yes. It’s a family tradition."
Chase and Jessica have vacationed in Bozeman every summer since they were kids, and floating the Madison is always at the top of their to-do list. So I asked them if they’ve noticed the river get any busier over the last few years.
They told me, “Yes. A lot of college kids coming down,” and “It’s usually very busy during the summer and on the weekends.”
It’s no secret the Madison River has seen an increase in traffic over the last few years. FWP counts tens of thousands of visits each year, with hundreds daily. Which is why as of 2023, a conservation license was instated.
“It became required for anyone who is recreating on most state lands. It’s a license that allows Fish, Wildlife and Parks to generate revenue to put towards the maintenance of these areas that are really used quite heavily,” says Morgan Jacobsen, information and education manager for FWP Region 3.
Morgan told me historically, the people visiting these sites to go fishing already have a conservation license because it’s included with the fishing license. But now that the river sees more floaters than fishers, they needed to find a way to keep up with maintenance.
“Littering and vandalism is a continual issue that we’re dealing with at many sites and there are costs associated with that,” says Morgan.
In fact, according to a Reddit Bozeman post, last Tuesday one floater returned to their car in the Milwaukee Bridge boat ramp parking lot to find their trailer tire slashed and their passenger door scuffed.
Which is why FWP has been trying to get the word out about the conservation license requirements.
“There's a lot of signs that have been posted at these sites that tell you, first of all, that you need a conservation license. But also, how to obtain one, and you can buy one from your phone,” says Jacobsen.
And although an adult license that lasts the entire season is only $8, Morgan told me FWP is still only seeing 50/50 compliance.
Which I found to be true because Tuesday afternoon I asked some floaters if they had a conservation license.
One person told me, “I knew nothing of it, no.”
Another man said, “I found out from a friend of ours. That's how we found out we needed a conservation license.”
So, as the number of floaters goes up, Morgan hopes to see the amount of conservation licenses increase as well.
“They’re public sites, they’re public resources. We want to keep them in good shape so our kids and grandkids can enjoy them going into the future," he says.
Get your conservation license here: https://fwp.mt.gov/buyandapply/conservation-license
