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acquiring leases very fast and that interference with their water rights and existing water use was not occurring. Also, some agricultural interests felt that they could do whatever they wanted to with their water rights because they are considered a property right. Gradually, the leasing program became more accepted as a means to help dewatered streams through agreements between willing lessors and MFWP, Le., no one was being forced to lease water. In fact, leasing came to be seen as the least threat to their water use because MFWP was the only entity that could lease water. They felt this was better than some public trust proposals being talked about that could have greater impacts on their lives. LATER IMPLEMENTATION SUCCESSES MFWP has completed seven leases to date. The first lease was completed in August, 1992 on Mill Creek, a tributary to the Yellowstone River near Yellowstone National Park. The lease was a rather complicated agreement with the Mill Creek Water and Sewer District that involved 48 individuals and 95 diff~rent water rights. It is a result of a water conservation project in which three inefficient ditch systems used for flood irrigation were converted to a gravity pipeline and sprinkler system to irrigate the same lands more efficiently. This lease provides a once per year, 48-60 hour flow of up to 65 cfs. The second lease was also completed on Mill Creek in October, 1992. The lease is with a single individual and is also a result of the water conservation project. MFWP leases the salvaged water for instream flows. Both of the Mill Creek leases are to improve spawning conditions for cutthroat trout that migrate from the Yellowstone River into the stream to spawn. The 48-60 hour flow is to occur in August to flush young cutthroat trout from Mill Creek to the Yellowstone River. The salvaged water lease is to help maintain a base flow in the creek. The third lease, completed in August, 1993, was with a single individual on Blanchard Creek, a small tributary in the Blackfoot River basinin western Montana. MFWP -leases irrigation water by paying the rancher to pasture his cattle elsewhere when streamflows drop to an agreed to level. Rainbow trout spawning and young fish production have already improved as a result of this lease. The fourth lease was completed in October, 1994 with six individuals holding water rights on the same irrigation ditch from Tin Cup Creek, a spawning tributary to the Bitterroot River in western Montana. It is a straightforward lease in which MFWP pays for leaving all of the six water rights in the creek below the diversion point. The lease is expected to improve flows for rainbow trout that migrate from the Bitterroot River to spawn in the creek. The fifth lease is with the U.S. Forest Service which purchased a private ranch near the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park for elk habitat. They will continue to irrigate some lands 5