Monitoring Montana Waters (MMW) aims to support water quality monitoring efforts in Montana and enable community stewardship of our waters. MMW empowers Montanans to act as community scientists, committing their time and energy to monitoring important and understudied freshwater systems. We cannot protect our invaluable freshwater resources alone. The community is our greatest asset. Two of our groups, Central Montana Resource Council (CMRC) in Lewistown, and Carbon County Resource Council (CCRC) in Red Lodge are working closely with their communities to amplify statewide collaborative water monitoring efforts.
On Saturday, February 1st, CMRC held an event titled Hot Chili, Sweet Rolls & Ross Fork Creek at Hobson Town Hall. Community members were invited via postcards and Facebook to learn about the 2024 Ross Fork Water Quality Monitoring Project, designed to set a baseline of Ross Fork Creek conditions. Volunteers from CMRC collected samples from four sites in July, August, and September. Community members were encouraged to bring their neighbors and stop by to chat about water quality while enjoying chili, sweet rolls, fruit, and coffee. CMRC briefly presented the 2024 findings and the plan for monitoring in 2025, and the program was followed by Q&A discussions. The group had 27 people in attendance and were able to recruit new volunteers for their second year of sampling!
On Wednesday, February 19th, CCRC invited the public to learn about the health and future of Rock Creek and its tributaries. The event titled Beer, Pizza, and Our Rivers & Streams featured speakers from Trout Unlimited; Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; and Monitoring Montana Waters. Dr. Rachel Malison, program leader for Monitoring Montana Waters gave everyone more information about how our program supports volunteer water quality monitoring across the state and protects our waters. She highlighted the importance of collecting scientifically credible data over long-term monitoring to inform management decisions. Ben Bailey, Fisheries Technician with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks assisted in getting CCRC’s water monitoring program started and his management area encompasses the mainstem Yellowstone River and tributary streams. Ben spoke about dewatering, channel spanning diversion dams, bank stabilization, and habitat loss. He highlighted the importance of keeping our rivers wild, not just for aquatic life. Katie Young, the Beartooth Project Manager for Montana Trout Unlimited discussed river restoration projects related to flood resilience and ecosystem function in the waterways of the Beartooth Mountains. Following these presentations, community members were able to ask questions and voice their concerns about the watershed. CCRC was joined by around 80 community members eager to learn more about Rock Creek conditions and enjoy some free pizza and beer.
MMW personnel are happy to help our funded groups in any way possible when it comes to organizing community events and educating the public. Please don’t hesitate to reach out or look to each other as examples!
