Photograph Source: Mike Cline – Public Domain

Discussions about “tipping points” have been getting plenty of coverage in the last few years as the planet hurtles forward in a climate crisis we seem incapable of stopping. Ice caps and glaciers are melting, sea levels rising more rapidly than expected, acidification of the oceans, and vast wildfires sweep the globe as the Sixth Mass Extinction event wipes species from existence at a sickening pace.

What’s not been normally referred to as such is the “tipping point” we have now reached in the governance of our nation. But make no mistake, what’s going on right now with the would-be king in the White House fully qualifies as a tipping point — from democracy and adherence to the law and Constitution to a dictatorship under an individual who claims he is “done playing by the rules” and now turns our own military against we, the people.

Apparently this delusional old man has forgotten what happened the last time a king tried to suppress freedom in this country. That was 250 years ago, when those who fled the oppressions of monarchy for the liberty of a new nation rose up to throw the king’s heel off their necks.

Just as the founders of the United States kicked the king’s royal troops out, make no mistake that the fire of liberty and democracy continue to burn hot as the “No Kings!” movement sweeps our nation with more than 1,800 demonstrations planned for June 14th. If the red coats could not extinguish the flame of liberty on which this nation was founded, neither will the red hat grifter-in-chief who wants to play king.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the tipping point we have reached in Montana’s world famous rivers and wild trout fisheries.  As recently pointed out in a grim assessment of the impacts of the climate crisis here in the Big Sky State, we are at a point in early June with low flows and high water temperatures that have not occurred recently until late July-August.

How bad is it? Well, according to the fisheries biologists at Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Clark Fork and Blackfoot are at one-third of their usual flows. Stretches of the Big Hole are at their lowest levels in more than 15 years, with the upper river — where the last of the Fluvial Arctic Grayling in the lower 48 states are barely hanging on — has already hit 70 degrees, nearing the lethal point for trout and above that point for grayling.

Dead fish on the Smith River some 25 years ago. (Provided photo from the collection of George Ochenski)

The Madison River coming out of Yellowstone National Park is now reaching its historic 1931 lowest point, with flows at half of usual and, like the Big Hole, temperatures already approaching 70 degrees. It’s so bad NorthWestern Energy says it “may not be able to meet all the needs of the system” and is limiting outflows from Hebgen Reservoir, which is not expected to fill this year.

The Dearborn River, which drains the now basically snow-free Rocky Mountain Front, is already lower than it’s been in 55 years — likewise the Sun River, which is at a stunning 1/14th of usual flows.  A comprehensive assessment of our “read ’em and weep” river flows is here at the USGS site.

As our “tipping points” inexorably mount, the choices become clear. To protect our liberty and freedom, we must reject the would be king. To protect Montana’s world famous rivers, we must likewise reject his insane, planet-killing fossil fuel agenda — or neither our nation nor Montana’s famous rivers will ever “be great again.”