south core is CT-4 (Figure 2) , with 117 rings counted and an estimated age of 

 270 years (1726) . Of the four spruce trees cored on the south core, ST-4 is 

 the oldest with 197 rings counted and estimated age of 202 years (1794) . 



OWNERSHIP STATUS 



The age of trees on Morris Island indicates that the two core portions of the 

 island were present prior to statehood in 1889. Therefore, Montana DNRC, 

 Trust Land Management Division does not claim ownership of this island. 



The northern channel zone between the north and south core of Morris Island 

 and the southern channel area on this island are not part of the river 

 meanders shown on the Government Land Office survey (Rakowicz, 1891) . 

 Therefore, these channel areas would not be claimed by the state as abandoned 

 channels. Additional work would be necessary to determine the actual process 

 of channel formation and abandonment, but this is beyond the scope of this 

 study. It is likely that the channels are high water channels due to presence 

 of water in small channel depressions noted within the larger channel area. 



WORK SUMMARY 



My review of this island has included preliminary AutoCAD overlays, aerial 

 photo interpretation, gathering flow information, and field work which 

 included coring trees using increment borers, counting annual growth rings 

 from the cores, two sediment profile descriptions and samples (one each core) , 

 and geomorphological and vegetation observations. Flathead National Forest 

 (FNF) personnel have assisted me in collecting tree cores (Figures 3 and 4) , 

 counting growth rings, measuring tree diameters, digging for a sediment 

 profile site, and collecting information on local changes in topography (1 ft 

 or greater) in different directions across the northern core and part of the 

 associated channel. Allen Wolf, DNRC-NWLO Silvaculture Supervisor, 

 supplemented work by Dan Smiley, FNF, and myself by collecting additional tree 

 cores and counting and interpreting the information they provided. Marc 

 Burkhart, FNF, also collected some GPS data for tree locations (Figure 5) to 

 check signal penetration through the vegetative canopy and to establish some 

 tie points for additional work if needed. Montana Department of Fish, 

 Wildlife, and Parks and Walt Bahr, Flathead Land Trust, provided 

 transportation by boat to Morris Island. The details of the work noted above 

 and interpretations drawn from it will be included in a forthcoming 

 geomorphologic report on the area. 



REFERENCES 



Bates, Robert L. , and Jackson, Julia A., eds . , 1980, Glossary of 

 Geology, Second Edition: Falls Church, Virginia, American Geological 

 Institute, pp. 4, 45, and 529. 



Heritage Research Center, 1986, Montana Navigable Water Study: 

 Unpublished report submitted by Heritage Research Center, (P.O. Box 9316, 

 Missoula, MT 59801) to Montana Department of State Lands, Helena, MT, pp. 32- 

 36. 



Rakowicz, Ernest, 1891, Survey of Fractional Township No. 28 North, 

 Range No. 21 West of the Principal Meridian Montana, Surveyed 1/17-31/1891, 

 Approved by the Surveyor General's Office, Helena, MT, June 22, 1891, 

 available from Bureau of Land Management, Cadastral Survey, Billings, MT. 



Wolf, Allen, 1996, Coriell and Morris Island Investigations: 

 Unpublished MT DNRC internal report submitted to Teresa Kinley, 

 Hydrogeologist, MT DNRC, Helena, by Silvaculture Supervisor, (Allen Wolf) , MT 

 DNRC, NWLO, 12/17-18/96, 10 p. 



