John Muhlfeld of River Design Group

I thought I would let this story die. I thought I would forgive and forget John Muhlfeld for all the stress and lies he caused Land owners and all who were involved with the River Design Group and Fish, Wildlife and Parks on Grave Creek in Northwest Montana.

Years have passed since the first time I met John and since the Beginning of the Damage he has done to Fisheries, and to private landowners.

John Muhlfeld’s recent bit in the media has awakened my feelings and information on him and the River Design Group. Therefore, I want to give you folks a piece of my mind and an insight into John Muhlfeld on the Job, sucking up state funding.

John Muhlfeld’s River Design Group, ruins peoples lives. He was hired to do projects that he ended up doing more than one time. This seemed to be in effort to use up State Grant Money. I mean, how in the world can a man, that is SO QUALIFIED keep screwing up the SAME project Year after Year. Unless it was on purpose to secure continued funding and work projects.

Kootenai River Network and River Design Group have used millions of state and federally funded money to restore fisheries, protect bull trout and to supposedly prevent the erosion of the shores of creeks and major watersheds in our area.

The Project I witnessed first hand from the Beginning was Grave Creek in Eureka Montana. The planning stages costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, just to have
John Muhlfeld draw up plans that would end up failing year after year cost HUGE amounts of Money. The years rolled by and Each season the work John Designed failed and flowed down stream to cause water blockages, damage to fisheries and lots of debri on private land owners property. The Kootenai River Network, Fish Wildlife and Parks and River Design Group did not seem to be to upset about this, I mean to FIX the problem meant more money and more Jobs. What Could Be So Bad about that ?

The bull trout habitat was Strong before the Kootenai River Network and River Design Group stepped in, I saw lots of healthy Bull Trout. However, once the Kootenai River Network and River Design Group stepped in with their Healthy Grant Money, to Protect the Endangered Bull Trout, they made a MESS. They disturbed habitat in order to implement their DESIGN, their design failed, so the next Season, just as the Fish were getting re-established THEY ruined the habitat again to fix their mistakes and this went on for years. How WAS this helping the Bull Trout ? The next thing I knew Bull Trout was taken off the Endangered list and they were promoting the thrill of caching a Really Big Fish in the local creeks.


It ALL seemed Like a BIG Waste of Money, that HURT Land Owners.

Who is the Kootenai River Network ?

The Kootenai River Network was really the Medium or Vehicle in which Fish Wildlife and Parks ( Creston – Rox Rogers ) NEEDED to get funds for the Project.


Under the Freedom of Information Act, YOU can request that ALL information on these projects be released to you. Contact the FWP and Request that the information be released to you. YOU will be shocked at the money that FLOWED into the Creek, with no POSITIVE change to fisheries, landowners, or the banks of the creek. You will be shocked at what SOME landowner were GIVEN ( such as being paid to work on their own land and given Giant Irrigation Systems, as well as really cheap loans for agricultural use) Request this DATA and ask why THEY don’t Give this to you, or waterfront landowners that you may know.

This Project EVEN went as far as to Cut Off Water Rights access of local Ranches in the process and NEVER have they Made This Right.


Keep in mind folks that you will see documents of another group involved at first, this was John Muhlfeld also – working with another company.


If You have trouble getting information on this group.Please Email Me at SavvyBroker@Yahoo.com .


The Kootenai River Network, FWP, and The River Design Group, created a plan that filled Creek Front Landowners filled DEBRI. Their PLAN took out an ancient dam that was in place on the creek and this PLAN did not work and in fact hurt people. The logs and rock that built the dam were dong a VERY good job and had for decades. This young man, John Muhlfeld, who did not have a clue as to what would really happen designed a plan that created giant ICE Chunks that took out peoples campers, went into their garages, threatened homes, harmed vehicles and blocked access to peoples homes. The Dam NEVER needed TAKEN out and was only removed to SPEND Money. If you Spend the Money, you Get More ……..

Locals knew What the Creek would Do, and NO One listened.

Who do you think knows more about the behavior of the Creek; The Rookie fresh out of College – all book learned and everything OR the Residents who lived ON the creek for Generations after Generations. Well the FWP thinks that the Rookie knows more. You CANNOT learn about a Creek, a Waterway in a BOOK.

They Were Wrong.

Folks, I have a lot of information on this situation, I attended meetings where John admitted that he hired people he knew for the jobs on the river.

Another words, the locals who needed the jobs, knew the creek better, and we more experienced at operating the equipment necessary for the job were not EVEN Considered. Yet they were made to THINK they had a Shot at the Job.

They went to the trainings put on by The Groups and jumped through every hoop and piece of paperwork to “go for” the Job that they THOUGHT they were really in the running for, they NEVER even had a chance. The only reason the job was advertised was because that is protocol, the class spent more grant money and the project moved forward.

I have had more than one heavy equipment operator here in Eureka, tell me this same story and I heard JOHN say, at a meeting with Rox Rogers and a few others, that he had already picked his guy long ago, he uses the same one.

I questioned at the time how Muhlfeld got this EASY job where he could make big money and not be accountable for his actions. It seemed to me it was because his Relative, Clint C. Muhlfeld. Montana Department of Fish, PUT in a VERY good word for him with the Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

When the River Design Group was Assessing the Project on the Ground. They contacted the landowners, one in particular had told John that it was no problem and he could be on the property. However the land owner had ONE request, the only thing the Landowner asked was that he not have dogs with him, for the landowner had a new dog and was trying to train it and did not want other dogs on the property. The Landowner walked their dog down to the creek one morning and there was John, no warning, and he had 2 other Men with him and his dog. He was asked to remove the dog, and though he was quite a ways from the Creek and under the Cottonwood trees he said, this is the high water area and you cannot tell me what to do, this is state owned property.

This of Course was not True, and showed an Arrogant side of John that was only the beginning of what was to be witness of this “Cocky, Hotheaded, Rookie”.

Though the landowner graciously let John Muhlfeld on to the property, he disrespected their wishes and ran over their property rights.

This Project went on for Years and to my understanding, the DESIGN by John Muhlfeld has NEVER been right, it rips out more and more every year. But that is fine, because they send John in and who ever he decides needs a pay check. It seems that John got out of College, was given a Great Job, and was Never really questioned or actually made to do Quality work and Have respect for private landowners rights.


John Muhlfeld’s integrity is in Serious question.

He has NO Respect for Private Property.

He makes a living on government grant money that He does not use Wisely.

He treats people with NO Respect.

He is Arrogant and Simply Does not perform Quality workmanship.

I Hate to See John affecting the Lives of the People of Whitefish Montana. Do your Homework folks. Find out who John Muhlfeld Really Is.


Don’t Believe me Folks, Get Copies of ALL the Federal work he has done, it is your right to order copies of all work done on ALL waterways, go to the Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and Request Copies of all work the River Design Group Has Done.

Follow it through and see if landowners were happy, see if his WORK every held the test of TIME and by time I mean even a year. John Muhlfeld Ruins peoples lives and it’s all just to keep the grant money rolling in.

Talk with the Former Company he Worked For. I hired this company for an environmental review on a real estate transaction, I got an Earful. Learn more about him before you Let him make ANY decisions for the Town Of Whitefish.


This Blog is NOW, at least in Part, Dedicated to Keeping an Eye on John Muhlfeld, so please comment if you have any information on John Muhlfeld, and the River Design Group. The public deserves to know everything before blindly letting John make ANY decisions of Importance for an Entire Community.


Folks, Research the Kootenai River Network and River Design Group. There is a whole lot of wasted tax dollars for work that was done over and over to create jobs and false prestige for the Fish, Wildlife and Parks folks involved and for John Muhlfeld – River Design Group – and all THOSE buddies who needed a Good Job.


Who Am I ?

My name is Crystal L. Cox. I am the Broker Owner of Ten Lakes Realty. If you wish to have anymore information on this situation or to be pointed in the right direction to Find Out More, Please Comment on this Blog or Email me at SavvyBroker@yahoo.com