What I did over my lunch hour

[Nemont]

In 1997 a group of Paleontologist from Notre Dame discovered a nearly intact T-Rex in the Hell Creek formation near Fort Peck Resevior. At that time there was a good chance that the fossil would end up either going to the Museum of Rockies in Bozeman, Where Dr. Jack Horner works or to Notre Dame. A bunch of local people decided that we needed to keep "Peck's Rex" here locally. The catch was we had to build a facility in which to store, study and display the specimen.

Out of that was born the Fort Peck Dam Interpretive Center and Dinosaur Museum. The grand opening of this new, state of the art $6 million dollar facility will be held this Saturday, May 7th. So over my lunch hour I took a sneak preview of the facility and here are a few pics.

Peck's Rex. Skeleton Display.

Here is the "Fleshed out" T Rex that greets you as you enter.

They have a display of local wildlife and here is the full body mount of an 8x8 elk called the Monarch

Here is the view of the Missouri River from the obervation deck of the building

Nemont

 

[Elkgunner]

Looks like a pretty cool display. What else is in there???


And where the Hell did you guys get $6 Million???? Did you get the new gym/rec center done?

 

[Funter]

Nemont,

Looks like a nice way to kill a lunch hour and then some.

 

[Elkhunter]

That is an awesome way to spend your lunch hour. Those are cool displays!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nemont]

Looks like a pretty cool display. What else is in there???


And where the Hell did you guys get $6 Million???? Did you get the new gym/rec center done?

EG,
There are a bunch more dinosaurs, a display of the process of making the dam. Fort Peck Dam is an earth filled dam 5 miles long and there is a good bit on the history of the project. That is how we got the $6 million, the Corps of Engineers got the money from Uncle Sam. We did get the new hockey rink built. Some call it Jurassic Pork

Within view of the this new museum is the brand new Fort Peck Warm water fish hatchery. $26 Million in taxpayer money to build an unbelievable fish hatchery. It looks sort of like a hyatt resort.

Fort Peck fish hatchery funding now a done deal, Sen. Baucus says


HELENA (AP) - Additional funding of the fish hatchery at Fort Peck is now a done deal, says Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.

His assessment was prompted by Senate passage of an energy and water spending bill that includes an additional $7 million for the project in north-eastern Montana.

Baucus said the legislation now goes to President Bush, who is expected to sign it.

"This is a huge step forward," Baucus said. "And it's a done deal."

Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., said the Tuesday night approval of the legislation "will really go a long way in getting a few steps closer to completion."

"This project never would have happened without the support and dedication of the communities around Fort Peck reservoir who wanted a warm water hatchery. Working with them, we were able to take that idea and turn it into a reality, and I'm thrilled to see it nearing completion," Burns said.

He also said he would seek the final $5 million to complete the project next year.

Baucus said he gave the project high priority because it would create jobs and boost the region's economy.

The Montana congressional delegation got $1.5 million for the project in fiscal year 2002 and $6 million in fiscal year 2003.

The project was approved by Congress as part of the 2000 Water Resources Development Act.

Once completed, the Fort Peck Fish Hatchery will support native fish recovery and warm-water fish, such as walleye and smallmouth bass, as well as other species affected by heavy fishing pressure and low water levels in recent years.

The hatchery is on 100 acres of federal land south of the Dredge Cuts area in Fort Peck and is a partnership between the Army Corps of Engineers, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Citizens for a Fort Peck Hatchery, and Montana Walleyes Unlimited.

 

[Bambistew]

NeMont... How is the water level in the lake? Is it still dropping, or have you gotten enough moisture and spring runoff to fill it up some?

 

[MarvB]

Nice pics Jeff, thanks for sharing.

A T-Rex in a full body mount...that's what I'm talking about!
Any NR tags available???

 

[Nemont]

Bambi,

The lake is down 6 feet from the same time last year. It is down a total of 44 feet since Jan. 1, 1998. It is 10 feet lower then the previous all time low in 1991. The prediction for this water year is that it will drop an additional 5 to 7 vertical feet. No real relief in sight. Not snowpack and little runoff.

Nemont

 

[ELKCHSR]

One day, some day, it will fill up, thanks for the info, it may be a place I take the wife for a little visit one of these days...

 

[T Bone]

interesting how the front leg protrudes out at almost a 90 degree angle from the scapula.