The Lower Musselshell Conservation District (LMCD) was formed in 1943. It consists of 2,053,120 acres, covering all of Musselshell and Golden Valley counties and a portion of Rosebud County. The landscape of the district flows from the foothills of west central Montana to the sedimentary plains of eastern Montana. The Musselshell River intersects the district, with a valley floor from about half to three miles in width. Although the original meanders were destroyed by the Milwaukee Railroad, some remain along with a few cottonwood stands within the agriculture-dominated terrain. South of the Musselshell River are the Bull Mountains uplands; a region of deeply dissected residual uplands characterized by narrow canyons and drainages and topped by isolated sandstone mesas and buttes. Typical Bull Mountain landscape south of Roundup. The cities of Roundup and Ryegate are the incorporated cities within the district. The district works with area schools, sponsoring volunteer water monitoring programs and outdoor classrooms. An old hay mower sits along the Musselshell River, reflecting the changing faces of agriculture in the Musselshell Basin. The LMCD provides a means for all interested people in the community to work together for natural resource conservation and development. The objective of the district is to carry out the treatment of each acre of land according to its needs, based on its capabilities and to address these needs in the best possible manner. Currently the District is finishing up the written report of the national resource assessment of the Musselshell River, done in May of 2002. (See the Impaired Streams link). The District is also launching a public education campaign for saltcedar, a rapidly spreading, water guzzling noxious weed in the Musselshell River Basin. (See Saltcedar link). Demo plots have been designated in Musselshell, Garfield and Treasure County, and with the assistance of the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, testing with chemical application and soil and water impacts will determine the best methods of control. The Lower Musselshell Conservation District was awarded the 1998 Goodyear/National Association of Conservation Districts award, the 2000 CF Industries National Watershed Award, the 2000 Montana Watershed Stewardship Award, and several newsletter awards. Pictured at the 2005 MACD convention are; front row, Frank Goffena; middle row, Leslie Burroughs, Jean Smith, Shirley Parrott and Tim Bruner. Back Row, Bill Jergin, Jr, Alice Wolff and John Rouane, NRCS District Conservationist.   Home | Impaired Streams | Newsletter | Outdoor Classroom | Related Links Site Design by Bull Mountain Brokerage & Design Copyright © 2000-2005, All Rights Reserved. No images, content or layout may be used or reproduced Original photo credits © Alice Wolff unless otherwise noted.