Fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts visiting the Missouri River below Hauser Dam this spring will notice several improvements.   

PPL Montana is upgrading the portage trail and walking path around the dam and will open a new parking area for visitors within the next month. The company also plans to install new signs and an interpretive panel recounting the history of the original Hauser Dam.  

“These improvements will make access to the scenic beauty around the dam easier and safer for fishermen, canoeists and other outdoor enthusiasts,” said David Hoffman, manager–External Affairs for PPL Montana. “As the caretakers of the environment around our dams, we are taking these and other measures to preserve and enhance the natural and recreational resources of the state’s rivers and lakes for everyone to enjoy.”

In addition to the path and trail upgrades, PPL Montana has added an improved portage take-out for canoeists on the north side of the dam. The new parking area is at the rock quarry adjacent to Hauser Dam Road.  

PPL Montana is asking that visitors use the new parking area before parking along Hauser Dam Road. Parking is now limited to one side of the road.

These improvements are part of PPL Montana’s $23 million commitment for recreational and other river stewardship projects along a 524-mile portion of the Madison-Missouri River corridor through 2009.

The 17-megawatt Hauser Dam hydroelectric generating station is 14 miles northeast of Helena.

PPL Montana has offices in Billings, Butte and Helena. With about 500 employees, PPL Montana operates the coal-fired Colstrip and Corette power plants and 11 hydroelectric facilities along the Missouri, Flathead, Clark Fork and Madison rivers and Rosebud Creek. PPL EnergyPlus, another PPL subsidiary, operates a trading floor in Butte that markets and sells power in the wholesale energy market. More information is available at www.pplmontana.com.