Focus Areas
Focus areas are places in the plains grassland ecosystem that have been identified by scientist as specific areas that are in the greatest need of conservation. The following information describes each area, the fish and wildlife species associated with it, the concerns these areas face and things that can be done to help- "strategies".
Lower Missouri River
The lower Missouri River is a land of badlands, breaks and coulees. This section of the river flows through windswept plains dotted with pothole lakes that fill with melting snow.
Lower Yellowstone River
The French called it "Roche Jaune," meaning yellow rock, to describe the lower section of the Yellowstone that is lined with trees and meanders through yellow bluffs and rimrocks on its journey eastward.
Missouri Coteau
This area is part of the large continental prairie grassland and pothole habitat. In most years, springtime finds this area dotted with small wetlands. These shallow wetlands shine amongst the small glacial hilltops that are covered with short- to midgrass prairie species.
Montana Sedimentary Plains
This vast, gently sloping to rolling area contains scattered buttes and badlands. It sits on heavy clay soils and consists of mostly dry shrub lands and mixed grass prairies. It receives very little precipitation and is interspersed with woody draws that contain ponderosa pine and snowberry.
Powder River
The Powder River is noted as being one mile wide and one inch deep. It cuts through an area that can be described as a complex maze of draws. It is so named because of the gunpowder-colored sand on its banks, although the Indians and Lewis & Clark called the river "Red Stone" because of the color of rocks along its course.
Tongue River
The headwaters of the Tongue River rise in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. From these sources the river flows northeast to its confluence with the Yellowstone River at Miles City. The 3,500- acre Tongue River Dam controls the river’s flows in Montana.
Wildlife Species in the Greatest Need of Conservation
In each ecosystem, scientists have identified geographical areas, called "focus areas." These areas provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife species that have been identified as in greatest need of conservation. The table below identifies Fish and Wildlife species in greatest need of conservation in these focus areas.
To learn more about each focus area click on the maps above; to learn more about each species in greatest need of conservation click on the title of each animal below.
