Early algae frustrate fishermen on the Bighorn
Low water in the river and reservoir systems, attributed to low snowpack and unseasonably warm recent temperatures, is blamed for unusually dense algae appearing weeks earlier than usual.
While algae play an essential ecological role – feeding insects upon which, in turn, fish feed – an overabundance of the microscopic plants can hamper fishing and clog irrigation systems.
Montana’s May temperatures support the trend of overall warming in the continental United States. The months May 2011-April 2012 were the nation’s hottest since record-keeping began in 1895.











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