FORT PECK, Mont. -- Beginning the week of August 22, 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will conduct vegetation management activities on the Seven Blackfoot, Billy, Wilson, McCarty, Sheep, Short, Cart Trail, Armstrong and Doney drainages; as well as the shoreline between Seven Blackfoot and Billy drainage located at the Fort Peck Reservoir in Garfield and Phillips Counties, Montana.
These areas will be closed to the public during spraying activity and 72 hours after application. Signs providing the dates of closure will be posted in these drainages, as well as at Fourchette Bay, Devil’s Creek and Bone Trail Recreation Areas. Spraying will be done on approximately 550 acres in these drainages to control the spread of the noxious weed saltcedar along the shorelines and adjacent upland areas of the Fort Peck Reservoir. This work is being conducted in order to meet requirements of the National Invasive Species Act of 1996, Montana Noxious Weed Control Act and to comply with USACE policy on the control of noxious weeds. Controlling invasive species will protects area recreation, fish, wildlife and associated habitat.
Montana Certified applicators, using helicopters, will spray with triclopyr and 2,4-D, both approved for use in aquatic environments by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. Spraying will take place only when environmental conditions allow, such as little to no wind and no rainfall in the immediate forecast. While efforts will be made to conduct spraying during the week, when public use is lower, spraying may occur on weekends since optimal spraying days can be limited due to wind or rain.
For more information on this activity, please reference the “Final Supplemental Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Control of Saltcedar and Russian Olive, Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana; which, following public review of a draft supplemental environmental assessment,” was released in April 2016.
Questions may be directed to Natural Resource Specialist, Patricia Gilbert at (406) 526-3411 extension 4278.
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