Judge halts arctic grayling conservation plan in Red Rock Lakes
John Hooks | Montana Public Radio
A federal judge in Missoula temporarily halted work Wednesday on a government conservation plan for Arctic grayling in the Red Rock Lakes Wilderness Area in southwestern Montana.
Judge Donald Molloy said federal wildlife officials' planned pipeline for pumping oxygenated water into a lake to support spawning fish likely violates the Wilderness Act.
Wilderness conservation activists sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service earlier this year to stop the project.
The judge determined the federal government did not prove the plan would actually help the grayling. The agency is barred from acting on the plan while a full judicial review continues.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said they do not comment on active litigation.
Officials encourage large boat removal as Whitefish Lake water level drops
Aaron Bolton | Montana Public Radio
State and local officials say Whitefish Lake water levels are dropping. Public boat ramps at Whitefish Lake State Park and City Beach could become too shallow for larger boats.
Officials are encouraging boaters to take out larger vessels before water levels become too low.
All boaters are also encouraged to exercise caution when launching and loading boats as water levels continue to drop.
