April and May have been a busy couple of months for the Monitoring Montana Waters (MMW) team with final preparations for the 2024 monitoring season fully underway. Each year MMW offers funded groups with the opportunity to participate in on-the-ground training provided by MMW personnel. To ensure that funded groups are following correct procedures and collecting quality samples, the MMW team travels to different watersheds and provides training in the field. Although many of our groups are already familiar with the sampling process it’s a great way to refresh everyone’s memory after a long winter and continue to build on our relationships.  

Thus far, MMW has trained a total of seven funded groups and traveled near and far. MMW started spring off by traveling down to Hamilton to train the Bitterroot River Protection Association alongside Abbie Ebert, Water Quality Scientist from MT DEQ. The team then traveled a short distance to Mission Bay Preserve HOA in Polson. We went over unfiltered and filtered grab sample procedures and demonstrated how to use a YSI meter. The group was able to ask questions and get assistance with site selection. MMW also headed to Troy to meet with Yaak Valley Forest Council. It was great to hear how the crew is doing and meet some of their new members. Big Sky Watershed Corps members, Brianna Elizondo and Jared Glass then made the longer trip to Red Lodge to sample with Rock Creek Watershed Group/Carbon County Resource Council. We had such a fun morning getting to know the group and seeing how well they work together.  

Along with these groups, MMW personnel also provided in person training for Clearwater Resource Council, Flathead Rivers Alliance, and the newly formed Whitefish River Water Quality Team. Groups are mainly trained on how to collect unfiltered and filtered samples, as well as field blanks and duplicates. However, MMW also covers how to pack coolers with samples, fill out Chain of Custody forms, the importance of different analytes, what the effects of different nutrients would have on the water quality, and what you might want to look for if you’re worried about different problems in the watershed. We’re very appreciative of all the hard work our groups put into protecting Montana’s water quality!