The Environmental Assessment (EA) for proposed December 2018 lease sales of public land in Southwest Montana for oil & gas development is now available for public comment. The public lands proposed for sale this December are exclusively intended for oil…
Bill S. 3303 would significantly limit the power of states to deny projects that would have severe environmental impacts on water quality. Section 401 of the Clean Water Act gives states the power to protect their waterways from federally-licensed projects…
The Gallatin River is experiencing a large, miles-long neon-green algal bloom for the first time in recent memory. The Algal Bloom: Waterkeeper first became aware of the emerging algal bloom on the Gallatin late July 2018. A few members shared…
This July the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) posted an obscure notice on its website that, for the first time in recent memory, it will lease more than 12,000 acres of public land in Beaverhead and Madison Counties for oil…
Land use planning – from stream setbacks to clustering and density – is an important pollution prevention and control strategy. One example of progressive land use planning in Montana is the Story Mill Community Park. Millions of public & private…
The Madison River is not only a key headwater to the Missouri, it is also one of Montana’s most heavily used rivers. In the face of mounting fishing pressure Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks are undertaking a new River Recreation…
The 2019 Montana Legislature will reconsider how it funds our state’s fight against Invasive Aquatic Species. Unfortunately, there’s a proposal afloat to double fees on boaters and recreationalists while exempting hydropower, dams, and water utilities from being a part of…
Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration Push to Slash Protections for Waterways, Wetlands WASHINGTON— Upper Missouri Waterkeeper and partner conservation groups filed a lawsuit June 13th challenging two regulations that weaken Clean Water Act protections for rivers, streams, wetlands and other waterways, including…
River conservation groups across the country work tirelessly to protect and restore our favorite trout streams. But are we as effective as we could be? Three river conservation groups in Southwest Montana are banding together to answer just that. We’re…
On May 22, 2018 the public learned what’s causing nearly annual algal blooms and cloudy waters in the Beaverhead River. Expert scientists from the Bureau of Reclamation, Montana DEQ, and Montana FWP discussed recent late summer algal blooms & water…
