With funds and expertise from PPL Montana, a once pristine, spring-fed wetlands and wildlife habitat on the Madison River in southwestern Montana is being restored.

Opened for grazing in the 1920s, hundreds of acres of wetlands along the river had been channelized, making the land suitable for hay cultivation and creating pasture for livestock. But it didn’t take long to correct the situation and make a noticeable difference.

“These riverlands are known for natural springs that just bubble out of the ground, providing a rich environment that supports a premier trout habitat in Montana,” said Rob Hazlewood of Ranchland Wildlife Consultants in Helena, Mont., who retired as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“I knew we had a huge success when, within three days of re-opening a channel last year, I noticed what I thought was cloudy water,” he recalled. “But the water was clouded with sediment because it was swarming with trout.”

Jon Jourdonnais, PPL Montana’s director of Hydro Licensing and Environmental Compliance, calls it “one of those home-run projects PPL Montana biologists and the conservation community dream about.”

He added, “It’s one example of how we are making a difference in our state by restoring the riverine environment.”

The ongoing project is part of PPL Montana’s licensing agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its Madison-Missouri river dams. It involves a public-private partnership to restore river and wetland habitats and protect and enhance wildlife with willing landowners on private lands. PPL Montana and its partners have been working for the past two years on the Granger Ranch, a family-owned ranch that covers 13,000 acres, including large riparian areas adjacent to the Madison River, in the sweeping Madison Valley near Ennis, Mont.

The first phase, completed last June, involved using heavy earth-moving equipment to reopen the creek channels and restore the natural flow of water through the valley. “Through aerial photos, we could see how the channel, which was filled in over the years, naturally meandered 100 years ago,” Hazlewood said. “Our job was to open that up.”

About 400 acres will be restored as the initial phases of the project are completed.

“We’ve been working closely with PPL Montana, and it’s been a wonderful partnership and a wonderful experience,” said Jeff Laszlo, a member of the family that founded Granger Ranch nearly 75 years ago. “As a ranching family for five generations, our philosophy has always been to preserve the land and be responsible stewards. The project has allowed us to set land aside for fish and wildlife. It’s been thrilling to see the transformation of this large spring creek and wetlands.”

“It’s hard to believe that we had that kind of equipment down there, dredging and reopening original water channels and creek beds,” Hazelwood added. “Native plants have even taken hold now. It just blows everyone away. What the value to fisheries and native wildlife is – you just can’t find words for it.”

The next phase of the project will include working with landowners adjacent to the Granger Ranch and restoring more areas of river habitat along the Madison.

“PPL, which has put $120,000 toward the project so far, has been a major player,” Hazlewood said. “The partnership with PPL and the expertise from Jon’s staff have been phenomenal.”