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, 2021March 17, 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 Fly Fishing Lodges Ask Governor to Veto SB 358

April 14, 2021April 15, 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…

Legislative Session Update

February 11, 2021February 12, 2021

Montana’s biannual Legislative Session is fully underway and we’re seeing an unprecedented volume of bills, many of which aim to undermine important environmental and public health protections. Upper Missouri Waterkeeper is a non-partisan 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that does not lobby….

Conservation in the West Poll 2021

February 9, 2021February 12, 2021

Colorado College’s ‘State of the Rockies’ Project just released data from the 11th annual Conservation in the West Poll, indicating strong bipartisan support for conservation and a heightened concern for the future of our land, water, air, and wildlife. The…

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.