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| National Park Overview: |
 | Covering 12,383 acres (19 square miles), Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located on the western edge of the northern Great Plains, 50 miles east of the Rocky Mountains and 12 miles north of Great Falls, Montana. Despite its name, Benton Lake is actually a 5,000-acre shallow wetland created by the last continental glacier thousands of years ago. <P>During Montana's early years, the government excluded the Benton Lake basin from homesteading so that it could be used for irrigation. Later, several businessmen attempted to drain the wetlands so they could be farmed. Both plans proved ineffective. 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 NWR 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, 15 miles to the west. Dikes were built to divide the wetland into manageable units, and Refuge roads and facilities were constructed. <P> |
| Reviews By Park Visitors: |
| Be the 1st to Review Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge. You can rate it, post a comment on it, or do both. |
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| | Note to Park related businesses:
List your vacation cabin, weekend getaway, log cabin rental, romantic cottage, vacation home, resort, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, country inn, campground, RV park, horseback riding stable, canoe livery, river rafting, outfitting, sporting goods store, guide service, RV rental or any other park related activity, park related attraction or park related service on Google or StateParks.com. (more).... |
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| Related Links: |
| Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge System - ... Region Conserving the Nature of America Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge About The Refuge Upcoming Events Current ... March, 2003 Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge 922 Bootlegger Trail ... | | Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Home Page - ... Region Conserving the Nature of America Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Short-eared Owl Home How to Find Us Contact ... rolling terrain of Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is ... | | Prairie storm. Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, USA. - naturalphotos -- sekercioglu: rockies / MNT4-Benton-Prairie Prairie storm. Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, USA. | | Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Map - Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Select a location. 1999 DEC 10 last updated on 2003 SEP 04 D.L. Gustafson, dlg@rapid.msu.montana.edu Graphical Locater Home Page | | Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Aerial Photo - Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge 1992 photographs Graphical Locater map for Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Montana National Wildlife Refuges Page Last updated on 10-Dec-99 Return to home ... | | Bird Checklists of the United States - Bird Checklists of the United States Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Black Eagle, Montana Welcome to Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge, one of over 450 of your refuges across the United ... | | Bird Checklists of the United States - Bird Checklists of the United States. Montana. Key to Symbols. Note:Refuges that are indented are administered by another Refuge or are one of several refuges included in a Refuge Complex. ... | | Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge - Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Overview. | | Russel Country - Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge - Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Overview. |
| Directions: |
| 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. Go about 9 miles to the well-marked Refuge entrance on the left. <P> |
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