HELENA (AP) -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to further decrease the already record-low level of Fort Peck Lake to aid downstream fish spawning, stranding all boat ramps and creating other problems for upstream users of Missouri River water, Sen. Conrad Burns said Friday.

''This is an outrage," said Burns, R-Mont. ''Montana has experienced years of devastating drought, and Fort Peck is at the lowest we've ever seen. To decrease Fort Peck's levels even further is nothing but destructive."

Burns said the plan threatens to harm the fragile balance of competing water users, ''and it's just not right."

He said as soon as his office learned of the plan Friday he contacted Brigadier Gen. William Grisoli at the Corps' office in Portland, Ore., and expressed his dismay.

In a subsequent letter to Grisoli, Burns said he understood the drawdown on April 24-25 would increase by 9,000 cubic feet a second and then rise to an increase of 11,000 cfs on April 26.

''...this is completely unacceptable," Burns wrote. ''The drought that has impacted Montana for the last several years is not allowing any water to move into Fort Peck to increase the pool.

''Now, you want to take even higher levels to increase the pools at downstream reservoirs."

He said the increased drawdown ''will mean there is no boat ramp access anywhere on Fort Peck Lake."

Burns demanded the Corps immediately make arrangements to mitigate problems by extending boat ramps and otherwise accommodating access to what water remains.

''As I said, we will share the pain but, unfortunately, Montana seems to be the only state in the system that hears a big sucking sound as the lake levels drop so radically," he said.

Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., said he attempted to contact Corps officials for an explanation and they refused ''to provide any information on plans to decrease lake levels at Fort Peck."

He referred to the federal agency as arrogant and said he would do everything possible to ''reverse this idiotic policy."

Corps officials could not be reached late Friday for comment.

The drawdown is tied to attempts to save this spring's walleye and smelt spawn downstream along the Missouri River, including at Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota. In past years, the Corps has attempted to favor one of the big three reservoirs -- the other being South Dakota's Lake Oahe -- to ensure at least one has a successful spawn.

Smelt spawn in shallow water and declining reservoir levels could strand the eggs.