BLM-(MT), Fish Impediment Inventory Along Montanaâ¿¿s HiLine, North Central Montana District | L17AS00208

Opportunity Information: Apply for L17AS00208

This Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funding opportunity supports a partnership to identify and document fish passage barriers across prairie streams and rivers in Montana's HiLine region within the Montana/Dakotas BLM. The underlying problem is that many waterways on or connected to BLM-managed lands are interrupted by human-made impediments such as dams, low-water crossings, and poorly installed or undersized culverts. These structures can block or restrict fish movement to historic spawning and rearing habitats, which reduces reproduction and weakens populations over time. The area in question is extensive: the district includes dozens of major creeks adding up to more than 1,000 miles of prairie stream habitat, plus several thousand miles of smaller drainages that feed into larger systems.

The main objective is to create a comprehensive inventory of fish barriers along rivers and streams in the HiLine portion of Montana, including waters connected to major rivers like the Missouri and Milk Rivers. The BLM frames this inventory as the first essential step before any large-scale habitat improvement or barrier removal can be planned intelligently. By knowing where barriers are, what type they are, and how severely they affect connectivity, future projects can be prioritized to reopen stream networks and restore movement corridors for warmwater prairie fish that currently cannot reach key habitats. The inventory is meant to guide later on-the-ground actions like removing barriers, modifying crossings, or replacing culverts with fish-friendly designs.

The opportunity highlights expected ecological benefits, especially for native warmwater species and several BLM Special Status Species. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) identified species likely to benefit from improved passage, including Iowa darter, pearl dace, sauger, sturgeon chub, and Northern Redbelly x Finescale dace, with potential benefits extending to paddlefish and the endangered pallid sturgeon. The description points to the 2016 Nickwall Project on the Redwater River as a model of successful interagency collaboration, where fish-friendly passage improvements opened up dozens of miles of river to fish migrating out of the Missouri River. That example is used to show how an initial assessment and cooperative planning can translate into tangible connectivity gains.

The public benefit case is straightforward: the resulting data and maps would be used to target future barrier removal or modification to improve passage for a wide range of native fish, including sensitive species. In addition to conservation outcomes, improved connectivity is expected to support stronger fish populations that can benefit anglers. The project outputs, especially mapping products and inventory documentation, are intended to be publicly accessible through the participating agencies, helping inform future planning and giving the public a clearer picture of watershed conditions.

Administratively, this was a discretionary funding opportunity from the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, offered as a cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.231. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility notes in the full notice). The opportunity number is L17AS00208. It was posted July 13, 2017, with an original closing date of September 10, 2017. The award ceiling was $20,000, with one expected award. The notice also signals that the agreement could serve as a platform for later fisheries work if additional funding becomes available, potentially expanding into restoration projects, fisheries surveys, and other activities that fit the broader goal of restoring fish passage and functional connectivity across the HiLine's prairie stream systems.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BLM-(MT), Fish Impediment Inventory Along Montanaâ¿¿s HiLine, North Central Montana District" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.231.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 13, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 10, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $20,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for L17AS00208

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