Heat and drought trigger unusually early fishing restrictions
Victoria Traxler
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and Yellowstone National Park implemented the first "hoot-owl" restrictions of the summer Thursday. These restrictions go into effect to protect fish populations when rivers are warm and water levels are low. Officials say this is unusually early.
"We’ve had some pretty warm temperatures in May and so far in June that really have brought water temperatures up and it’s reduced snowpack quite quickly," FWP Public Information Officer Morgan Jacobsen says.
Fishing on the upper Madison River upstream of Hebgen Lake is restricted from 2 p.m. until midnight. In Yellowstone, hoot owls are in place for the Madison River, Firehole River and Gibbon River from 2 p.m. until the following morning.
Jacobsen says this is a signpost for the summer to come.
"This is the first hoot owl restriction that we’ve seen so far. We’re likely to see more."
Hoot owls or not, Jacobsen suggests fishing during the coolest times of day, landing fish quickly and allowing them to recover before release. He urges anglers to always check FWP’s website for the latest information before heading to the river.
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission also approved Thursday an emergency fishing closure for a portion of Red Rock Creek in southwestern Montana. The section from Upper Red Rock Lake to Elk Lake Road is now closed to anglers to protect one of the last indigenous Arctic grayling populations in Montana.
Montana schools will split $50 million to improve reading instruction
Austin Amestoy
Nearly 40 mostly rural Montana school districts are set to receive a big chunk of money to improve reading instruction. The funding comes from a federal grant Montana won last year, along with 22 other states. The schools will split almost $50 million over the next five years.
The state education department in a press release said the money will pay for professional development for teachers and new curricula based on the “science of reading.” That’s an evidence-based kind of literacy instruction that relies on a body of research into how kids best learn to read.
Montana’s winning schools will receive anywhere from $700,000 to more than $2 million from the grant. Test scores show learning recovery since the pandemic has been slow.
Officials warn about harmful algal blooms
Elinor Smith
State officials are reminding Montanans to watch for harmful algal blooms this summer before recreating in Montana’s rivers and lakes. Forecasts for a hot, dry summer means the toxic blooms are more likely to occur.
Harmful algal blooms or HABs, are an overgrowth of naturally occurring bacteria. Blooms release toxins into the water that can harm humans and animals.
Exposure can cause skin or eye irritation, vomiting, respiratory distress and more. The toxins found in HABs can be deadly to pets and animals if ingested.
HABs can take many different forms and colors, often appearing as “pea soup,” “grass clippings” or “spilled paint” in the water. Montanans who have contact with an HAB should wash off with clean water as soon as possible.
Observations can be reported at HAB.MT.gov.
Montana Public Radio is a public service of the University of Montana. State government coverage is funded in part through a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
