Upper Missouri Waterkeeper®

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Strong Science, Community Action, and the Law

Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, Inc. leverages a combination of strong science, community action, and the law to defend fishable, swimmable, drinkable water throughout the 25,000 square miles of Montana’s Upper Missouri River Basin.

Transparency, Accountability, Enforcement

We actively engage with citizens, stakeholders and decisionmakers, utilize best-available science and, when necessary to protect waterways and communities, insist on compliance with the law.

Healthy waterways go hand-in-hand with strong communities

Fishable, swimmable, drinkable water – your right, our mission.

Exclusively focused on protecting and improving waterways and community health throughout Montana’s Upper Missouri River Basin. Join us.

MAJOR ISSUES

Opposing A New Pollution Permit to the Upper Gallatin

April 15, 2021April 15, 2021

DEQ recently proposed a new pollution permit that would allow up to 20,000 gpd of poorly treated wastewater from new development in Big Sky’s Canyon Area, despite the fact that local groundwater and the Gallatin River are experiencing nutrient degradation…

Snowpack in SW Montana

March 12, 2021April 20, 2021

It took a while for winter to get going here in Southwest Montana, but thanks to February’s storms our snowpack levels have improved to near normal, according to National Resource Conservation Service’s SNOTEL data. Montanans pay extra close attention to…

Big Movement for Oil & Gas Leasing on Public Lands

March 11, 2021March 17, 2021

Yesterday the House Natural Resources Committee held an Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee hearing to discuss many of the ongoing issues with oil & gas leasing on federal public lands. Hosted on Youtube, the Natural Resources Committee hosted a live…

Halfway Report – Montana 2021 Legislative Session

March 8, 2021March 12, 2021

The last week before the Montana Legislature’s midway recess was crazier than a bull in a china shop. Not only did an unprecedented number of dirty water bills come back from the dead, but so too did meetings and last-minute…

Roadway De-Icer: Rubbing Salt in the Wounds

February 3, 2021February 3, 2021

Yes, Montana salts its roads It’s a common misconception that Montana does not use salt on its roadways. In actuality, salt compound deicers have been used statewide since 1996, with an increase in tonnage applied each year. Before a winter…

Glampground on the Gallatin: New development in the floodplain is bad for the river

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021

A Gallatin Gateway landowner is asking Gallatin County permission to build a glamorous campground (“Glampground”) retreat facility on the bank of the Gallatin River with 63 sites that will include running water, sewage, power and gas utilities, as well as…

UMW and 300+ Organizations Endorse National 30×30 Goal With Sign-On Letter

April 22, 2021

On Tuesday, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper joined a coalition of 342 organizations across the country in sending a letter to President Biden supporting the 30×30 goal of conserving 30% of U.S. lands, ocean, and water by 2030. The ambitious conservation goal…

UMW Joins Letter to Interior Dept. Seeking Reforms on Public Lands Oil and Gas Leasing

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Upper Missouri Waterkeeper joined nearly 40 other conservation organizations to push the Department of Interior to reform the antiquated federal onshore oil and gas leasing program that directly threatens Montana’s Big Hole and Beaverhead river valleys in a letter sent…

UMW and Fly Fishing Lodges Ask Governor to Veto SB 358

April 14, 2021April 20, 2021

Today, the Big Hole Lodge and Firehole Ranch joined Upper Missouri Waterkeeper in sending the following letter to Governor Gianforte: April 14, 2021 Dear Governor Gianforte: On behalf of Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, Big Hole Lodge, and Firehole Ranch, we are…

Working to Protect Waterways, Now and for Future Generations

Our Approach: We use a combination of strong science, community action, and legal expertise to defend the Upper Missouri River, its tributaries, and communities against threats to clean water and healthy rivers.

PROGRAMS

We work with communities and citizens to take a strong stance on the hard issues – to defend our waterways and communities from projects that would do harm, and to fight for and secure new regulations and protections that will provide critical defense and progress in the future.