Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on the following environmental assessments (EA), draft EAs and checklist EAs. For more information, including how to submit comments, click on the link provided or visit fwp.mt.gov/public-notices.
Bluewater Springs Trout Hatchery New Zealand Mud Snail Barrier Project Draft Checklist EA
FWP is proposing a project to upgrade infrastructure and install a barrier to prevent invasive New Zealand mud snails from entering the water sources for Bluewater Springs Trout Hatchery in Carbon County. In late 2025, New Zealand mud snails, an aquatic invasive species, were detected in a drainage channel that flows out of the Bluewater Spring at the state-owned fish hatchery. Currently, the snails are estimated to be approximately 15 feet from the spring outlet. The water temperature of the spring is consistently 55 degrees which prevents winter kills and provides conditions for the snails to reproduce year-round. If the New Zealand mud snails successfully enter and colonize the spring, water quality and fish reared at the hatchery would be compromised and result in a costly depopulation and decontamination effort.
Comment deadline: Feb. 2
Causeway Fishing Access Site Erosion Control Project
Causeway Fishing Access Site (FAS) is an FWP managed site that is located outside of Helena on Hauser Reservoir. The proposed Causeway FAS Erosion Control Project is intended to stop the excessive shoreline erosion that has been occurring at the FAS and address the bank sloughing that is eliminating useable shoreline, creating hazardous steep and unstable bank conditions, and contributing to siltation of the reservoir. The project area includes roughly 200 feet of shoreline and would be broken into three distinct sections. Section 1 would consist of riprap material to anchor the work into the adjacent property, set with the desired slope. The work in sections 2 and 3 would consist of achieving the desired slope followed by seeding the slope and installing a vegetated concrete block treatment that would stabilize the shoreline while allowing vegetation to grow and the public to use the shoreline.
Comment deadline: Feb. 13
FWP proposes to conserve Westslope cutthroat trout (WCT) in Mono, Tenmile, Christiansen and Lacy creeks to expand their range in each drainage by removing non-native trout upstream of constructed fish barriers. Historically, WCT, Arctic grayling and mountain whitefish were the only salmonid species in the Big Hole River Valley. In Mono, Tenmile, Christiansen and Lacy creeks, WCT were native and Arctic grayling likely used some of the streams seasonally. However, introductions of rainbow and brook trout have reduced and threatened these WCT populations through hybridization and competition and predation, respectively.
Comment deadline: Feb. 14