Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Infobox_protected_area | name = Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge
iucn_category = IV

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caption =
locator_x = 80
locator_y = 24
location = Montana, USA
nearest_city = Great Falls, MT
lat_degrees = 47
lat_minutes = 39
lat_seconds = 53
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 111
long_minutes = 20
long_seconds = 02
long_direction = W
area = 12,383 acres (50 km²)
established = 1929
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the central portions of the U.S. state of Montana. The gently rolling terrain of Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is dominated by native shortgrass prairie and seasonal wetlands, and surrounded by mountain ranges on three sides: the Highwood Mountains to the east, the Big Belt Mountains to the south, and the Rocky Mountains to the west.

These ranges form a dramatic backdrop to a scene reminiscent of the days when the entire prairie-wetland ecosystem of the Great Plains was alive with thousands of ducks, geese, swans, and shorebirds each spring and fall. Benton Lake NWR is one of more than 535 national wildlife Refuges administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that were established to protect, enhance, and restore the Nation's wildlife heritage. Covering 12,383 acres (19 square miles), the Refuge is located on the western edge of the northern Great Plains, convert|50|mi|km|-1 east of the Rocky Mountains and convert|12|mi|km|0 north of Great Falls, Montana. Despite its name, Benton Lake is actually a convert|5000|acre|km2|0|sing=on shallow wetland created by the last continental glacier thousands of years ago.

During Montana's early development, Benton Lake was first viewed as a resource to be exploited. In 1885, the government excluded the Benton Lake basin from homesteading so it could be used as a reservoir for irrigating lands to the east. That plan proved to be impractical. Early in the 20th century, several Montana businessmen planned to "reclaim" the wetlands for use as croplands. A ditch convert|26|ft|m|0 deep and 1 1/2 miles long was dug, but the drainage was ineffective and the project was abandoned. This early drainage ditch is still visible from the blacktop road leading to the Refuge.

As the surrounding land was settled, local sportsmen pushed for the establishment of a Refuge to keep the area in public ownership. By Executive Order of President Herbert Hoover in 1929, Benton Lake was set aside as a "Refuge and breeding ground for birds." However, the Refuge remained dry more often than not until 1957, when members of the Cascade County Wildlife Association secured Congressional funding to transform the marsh into a more consistently wet environment. Over the next 4 years, a pump house and pipeline were built to bring water to the Refuge from Muddy Creek. In addition, dikes were built to divide the wetland into manageable units, and Refuge roads and facilities were constructed.

Water still flows from the original pump station on Muddy Creek, but the Refuge wetlands have been further divided for more efficient water management. An interior pump system allows movement of water from one Refuge unit to another as needed, and is especially useful in the event of a waterfowl disease outbreak. Water is kept fairly shallow to produce an optimum mix of aquatic plants and insects for wildlife.

Several thousand acres of native prairie on the Refuge are protected from disturbance, while former farm fields have been seeded to a mixture of grasses and forbs preferred by ground nesting birds and other wildlife. The farm fields are rejuvenated every five years or so by haying, burning, grazing, or even farming and reseeding to keep plant growth tall and dense.

Benton Lake NWR is truly an oasis for water birds. During spring and fall migrations, up to 150,000 ducks, 2,500 Canada geese, 40,000 snow geese, 5,000 tundra swans, and perhaps as many as 50,000 shorebirds use the marsh. Bald eagles are commonly seen in spring and fall, while an occasional golden eagle, prairie falcon, or peregrine falcon adds a bit of drama to the scene.

During the summer breeding season, the marsh teems with life. On average, 20,000 ducks are produced yearly, while colonies of Franklin's gulls may contain more than 10,000 nests. Avocets, phalaropes, willets, grebes, and other water birds seem to be everywhere. Of the approximately 240 species of birds recorded on the Refuge, nearly 90 are known to nest here.

Other Refuge wildlife includes 28 different species of mammals such as mountain cottontail, common muskrat, American badger, striped skunk, common raccoon, long-tailed weasel, Richardson's ground squirrel, coyote, and a limited number of white-tailed deer, mule deer, and pronghorn. Few reptile and amphibian species are found on the Refuge, and there are no sizeable fish due to the shallowness of the marsh.

To get to the Refuge, follow Highway 87 (Havre Highway) north out of Great Falls for about a mile and turn left onto Bootlegger Trail for approximately convert|9|mi|km|0 which leads to the well-marked Refuge entrance.

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