Jefferson Basin

The National Weather Service is forecasting a powerful windstorm across much of Montana Friday. Wind speeds between between 20 and 30 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph are predicted.; Wildlife officials are reminding anglers of seasonal fishing closures in the Jefferson Basin.

News briefs: A trout population study, noise pollution inside Glacier National Park, UM wins discrimination case.

Fishing closures on the Jefferson. Arctic grayling escape fish hatchery. Bison management comment period extended. Dueling wilderness bills advance. Oil & gas cleanup funding for tribal nations.

Rural businesses and agriculture producers in Montana have been awarded $1.3 million in federal grants to become more energy efficient. A nonprofit organization said an anonymous tip led them to recover a missing piece of expensive monitoring equipment from the Big Hole river last week.

Multiple efforts are underway to study the historic population crash among trout in the Jefferson Basin. One non-profit is starting a private research effort at the Big Hole River that they hope will supplement work being done by the state.

Recent surveys have found the lowest trout populations on record in some of southwest Montana’s most iconic rivers, but the exact causes of the decline remain a mystery.