IDENTIFICATION OF RECHARGE AREAS FOR SALINE SEEPS ON HAILSTONE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (NWR), MONTANA

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The US Fish and Wildlife Service intends to award an agreement to the Montana Salinity Control Association (MSCA) for identification of recharge areas of saline seeps within the watershed of Hailstone NWR, Montana. The work will assist in determining restoration areas necessary to restore water quality on and off the Refuge. This agreement is in response to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s (MTDEQ) request that the Service remove salts that have accumulated behind the dam at Hailstone prior to releasing water downstream. The intent of cleanup is to utilize several methods to remove accumulated salts to the point where discharge of water downstream will be allowed by MTDEQ and to return the reservoir to a natural flow through system, ultimately reducing the risk to waterfowl and shorebirds. The agreement will be for a period not to exceed five years or until no further funding is available for the project, whichever occurs first. Additional funding over and above the original amount of the agreement ($10,000) is subject to availability and annual appropriations. For information on possible sub-agreement opportunities, please contact Jane Holzer, MSCA, 406-278-3071, or Karen Nelson, USFWS, 406-449-5225, Ext. 210.

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