Wild Horse Island
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters". Wild Horse Island (Montana Salish: Čt'išeʔém, Kutenai: kwiⱡq̓anqmi[1]), approximately Script error: No such module "convert". in size,[2][3] is the largest island on Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Montana.[4] Protected as a state park since 1977, the island near Big Arm Bay is home to abundant wildlife including bighorn sheep, mule deer, waterfowl, and bald eagles. It is managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and lies within both the Flathead Indian Reservation and Lake County, Montana.
History
For centuries, the Salish-Kootenai used the island to pasture horses and keep them from being stolen by other tribes. The island was part of the Flathead Indian Reservation from the reservation's creation in 1872 until 1904, when the island was divided into individual plots of land. A number of attempts were made towards agricultural development, but none succeeded.[5]
Between 1910 and 1915, homesteaders on the island cut down much of the old growth trees and introduced non-native grasses and other plant species. These species have competed with and overtaken much of the short-grass prairie that herbivorous wildlife need to survive.[6] This short grass prairie is one of the last remaining in Montana,[5] and various animal species are controlled to preserve the grasses from over-pasturing and extinction.
Two Bighorn sheep were introduced in 1939. since 1987[update]Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., when two bighorns were brought from Lincoln County, a total of ten sheep have been relocated to the island.[7] In 2014, the population was between 160 and 200 sheep, and Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks worked to relocate 59 sheep to other herds in Northwest Montana.[8] Three of the top five bighorn sheep recorded by the Boone and Crockett Club during the three years 2015-2018 came from Wild Horse Island.[9]
since 2013[update]Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., the wild horse population was five mares and one gelding.[10]
Geography
The island was formed by the Cordilleran Glacier, giving the island a varying topography. Its shores are Script error: No such module "convert". above sea level. The glacier caused the six summits in the center of the island, ranging in heights between Script error: No such module "convert"., to be formed into Script error: No such module "Lang"., with rugged northern faces and rugged southern cliffs. Meadows sprawl the western and southern shores, while grasslands cover the southeast. The northern side of the island has forests of Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir trees.[11] The highest point is at Script error: No such module "convert".,[12] which is Script error: No such module "convert". above the island's shores.[12]
Climate
A study conducted over a 25-year span has shown the average yearly precipitation on Wild Horse Island to be Script error: No such module "convert".. The average daily temperature ranges from Script error: No such module "convert"., with spikes sinking below Script error: No such module "convert". during colder months and afternoons above Script error: No such module "convert". during the hotter months in dryer years. Overall, the island experiences below freezing temperatures about two thirds of the year.[6]
Access
Access is by boat only and for day-use only.[2] There are 56 private lots on the island,[2] about an Script error: No such module "convert". (Script error: No such module "convert".) each.
Gallery
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Bighorn sheep grazing on the island.
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Jet-skis parked on an Eastern shore.
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Hiking trail that passes through pine-trees.
References
- ↑ Adam N. Johnson, Regina Sievert and Michael Durglo et al. Indigenous Knowledge and Geoscience on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Northwest Montana: Implications for Place-Based and Culturally Congruent Education. Journal of Geoscience Education. Vol. 62(2):187-202. DOI: 10.5408/12-393.1 https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1163600.pdf
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Further reading
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External links
- Wild Horse Island State Park Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
- Wild Horse Island State Park Trail Map Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
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