As we progress into the new year, preparation for the 2024 monitoring season is underway! We are excited to welcome our newest Big Sky Watershed Corps member, Brianna Elizondo! Brianna will be helping to coordinate all aspects of the MMW program in 2024. 

Monitoring Montana Waters (MMW) is heading into its fourth year of providing financial support to citizen-led watershed monitoring groups in Montana. MMW offers two different types of financial support to monitoring groups, including funds for sample analyses costs, as well as funds to help purchase sampling gear. If you are interested in strengthening the scientific capacity of your group, MMW offers up to $7,000 per calendar year in lab analysis funding and up to $1,500 in gear funding (which is available every 3 years). Lab analysis funding supports the cost of shipping samples and analyzing water quality samples. 

In 2023, we funded ten different groups and supported many sampling events. In 2024 we are looking to continue to expand our funding to more watershed groups and continue to develop more outreach opportunities! Applications are due March 1st, 2024. To be most competitive for funds, we strongly recommend that groups submit a draft Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to MMW by Feb 1st. Check out the Funding tab on our website for more details.