Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge in central Montana is part of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge Complex and was established in 1942 as an easement refuge for migratory waterfowl. The area centers on Hailstone Lake, a natural basin enlarged in the 1930s by a Works Project Administration dam project that created a reservoir. After the United States Fish and Wildlife Service bought the land in 1980, long-term salt and heavy metal buildup in the reservoir and nearby soils became a major concern, leading to dam removal in 2011 to restore flow. The refuge also supports prairie wildlife, hunting, and wildlife observation.