To manage these pressures, FWP uses a layered approach—temporary restrictions in some cases, long-term water management in others. The agency says the goal is always the same: safeguard aquatic ecosystems while maintaining angling opportunities and balancing the needs of Montana’s water users. Warm water holds less oxygen, meaning fish already stressed by high temperatures may not recover if caught and released. When flows fall below legal thresholds, the agency can exercise instream flow water rights. Other measures, such as managing instream flow rights, influence the long-term health of fish populations and aquatic ecosystems.