http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

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Duck hunting will take place on one-third of the area usually open to hunters at the 12,383-acre Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge north of Great Falls due to extremely low water levels. Snow and rain run-off has been poor at the refuge, with the last year of good run-off occurring in 2011. Over the past 30 years, the average run-off has been 3, 500 acre-feet, but in 2016, run-off was only 100 acre-feet, due to low snow pack, stated said Bob Johnson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, deputy manager of the refuge. The refuge typically gets leftover flows from the Greenfield Irrigation District to supplement natural flows coming in to the shallow wetland, but the short irrigation season and dry weather this summer meant there was not enough water to flood the three units used for hunting. Water was directed to a 393-acre unit in the northwest corner of the refuge, although it is typically used as a sanctuary. The one pond will support about one-fourth of the usual number of hunting parties that come to the refuge. Great Falls Tribune (Mont.), Sept. 21, 2016