In May 2008, the Marias River Watershed group proudly released their comprehensive assessment of the Marias River, one of the Missouri River’s main tributaries in the Middle Reach.  Funding for the assessment of the lower portion, from the Circle Bridge to the Marias’ confluence with the Missouri River, was provided by the Missouri River Conservation Districts Council.

In May 2008, the Marias River Watershed group proudly released their comprehensive assessment of the Marias River, one of the Missouri River’s main tributaries in the Middle Reach.  Funding for the assessment of the lower portion, from the Circle Bridge to the Marias’ confluence with the Missouri River, was provided by the Missouri River Conservation Districts Council.

The Council is proud and honored to support the BLM’s video and interpretive display of the historic settlement of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Long before the area was proclaimed a National Monument in 2001, families like the Darlingtons, Andersons, Wortmans, and others recognized the unique beauty and splendor of the Middle Reach, bringing their families here in the early 1900s and creating a heritage of hard work, respect for the land, and dedication to the rural communities they helped establish.

The Missouri River Conservation Districts Council’s 1st annual Missouri River Rendezvous is set for June 19th in Fort Benton. This premier event will kick off the newly-amended Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP—see Page 2) and raise awareness of the federal management programs and partnership opportunities impacting landowners and river users throughout Montana’s Missouri River Corridor.

After what has seemed like years of meetings, conference calls, presentations, phone calls, and letters, Montana’s $57 million Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) has been amended to make it more user-friendly. CREP assists farmers and ranchers in improving the water quality within a two-mile wide corridor long the Missouri and Madison River systems. The total project area reaches more than 500 miles from Hebgen Dam to the Fred Robinson Bridge, encompassing over 338,000 private land acres.

In March, the Council issued a letter of support for the City of Fort Benton’s application for a DNRC Reclamation and Development Grant to fund the investigation and reclamation of a parcel of property along the Missouri River. The project fits well with the Council’s goal to “Enhance Community Involvement in River Stewardship”.

March 26, 2008

Mayor Rick Morris
City of Fort Benton
P.O. Box 8
Fort Benton, MT 59442
RE: Fort Benton Public Parcel Reclamation

With the help of DEQ and DNRC education grants, the Council was able to bring Missouri River and natural resource education to the Middle Reach. In May 2007, the Council hosted the “Native Waters: Sharing the Source” exhibit at the Fort Benton Ag Museum. The exhibit travels throughout the United States and uses interactive cultural and scientific features to educate people about the Missouri River and the connectivity of people throughout the basin.

By Roger Zentzis, MRW Technical Coordinator