the Missouri River in North Dakota. Of the five assessment units 

 in this drainage, the Little Missouri main stem and its major 

 tributary, Boxelder Creek, both earned Class II species values for 

 their high-quality riparian community and assortment of species of 

 special concern. In addition, high densities of white-tailed 

 deer, mule deer, antelope, sharp-tailed and sage grouse, beaver, 

 bobcat, and turkeys are found along the Little Missouri and many 

 of its tributaries. Because of its dense gallery forests and high 

 habitat diversity, Beaver Creek achieved a Class II habitat 

 rating. 



Recreation 



The Montana Rivers Study inventoried the recreational 

 attributes and values of only 18 river segments in the lower 

 Yellowstone drainage, but they totaled 79A miles, or six percent 

 of the 12,528 miles studied. Managers and recreational river users 

 rated none of the drainage's river miles as Outstanding, a 

 testimony more to the national value of many other Montana rivers 

 than to the lack of value here. Managers and users were instructed 

 that the Outstanding category should be reserved for the best 10 

 percent of recreational river segments in the state. This was not 

 a firm rule, but a reminder to reviewers that value class 

 distinctions might not be as meaningful if only the higher-value 

 categories were used. 



Regional value is extremely high in eastern Montana, where 

 there aren't as many rivers as in western Montana. Thirty-two 

 percent of the river miles inventoried received a Class II 

 (Substantial) recreational value, while 56 percent were Class III 

 (Moderate) and nine percent rated Class IV (Limited) (Table 62). 



Fishing quality, hunting opportunities, scenic quality, 

 presence of paddlefish, and unusual topography added to 

 recreational value, while detractors included poor access, muddy 

 water, low or intermittent flows, limited boating opportunities, 

 low scenic quality, and agricultural lands. Recreational use was 

 moderate to heavy on less than one-third of the river mileage, and 

 low on 43 percent. These relatively low use levels were consistent 

 with generally low levels of access. No segments had abundant 

 access and 71 percent of the mileage was rated as limited or 

 restricted. 



No segments in the lower Yellowstone received an Outstanding 

 scenic quality, again likely a result of comparison with 

 mountainous western Montana. Undoubtedly there are many who would 

 argue with this rating, finding great beauty in the rugged plains. 

 Scenic quality was rated as Substantial on only 10 percent of the 

 segments, and as Moderate on 50 percent. 



The drainage was not thought to contain any river segments 

 that provided primitive or semi-primitive recreation settings; 



161 



