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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.
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.
Fishable, swimmable, drinkable water – your right, our mission.
Upper Missouri Waterkeeper defends clean water throughout the 25,000 square miles of Montana's Upper Missouri River Basin. Join us today!
Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is proposing a new suite of rules concerning how sectors that discharge wastewater (municipalities, industry, and construction/commercial) may seek a water quality standards variance. The public comment period is open until August 22, 2022…
The Problem Since 2018, the middle segment of the world-class Gallatin River has been plagued by widespread, noxious neon-green algal blooms. This scenic, wild, cold-water stretch of the Gallatin River is home to 3,000 wild trout per mile and supports…
June 2022 Preliminary Determination of Impairment What’s being proposed? Based on a review of best available science from the past 10 years, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued a preliminary determination that the middle segment Gallatin River…
Gianforte’s Failure to Act and Forecast For Hot, Dry Summer Doesn’t Bode Well For Montana’s Wild Trout Fisheries Today, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, a broad coalition of fly fishing businesses, conservation organizations, and…
Background on ‘WOTUS’ The EPA and USACE have recently issued a Proposed Rule that would replace the recently vacated “Navigable Waters Protection Rule” definition under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) finalized by the Trump administration on April 21, 2020…
In the summer of 2021, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper submitted a petition to the Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requesting the designation of Gallatin County as a municipal separate stormwater system (MS4) entity to better control stormwater pollution in the…
Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality Needs to Identify Nutrient Pollution as the Causal Agent for Algal Blooms; Public Encouraged to Submit Comment to Protect River Neon-green algal blooms are plaguing the world-class Gallatin River downstream of Big Sky and the…
Conservation Groups’ Petition Granted by Dept. of Environmental Quality On Tuesday, June 14, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) made a preliminary finding that the Gallatin River merits a Category 5 impairment designation under Section 303(d) of the federal Clean…
Job Announcement: Staff Attorney Application Deadline: Rolling until filled. Priority given to applications received by June 15, 2022. Job Description: Upper Missouri Waterkeeper is hiring a Staff Attorney available to start Summer 2022. The Staff Attorney is responsible for working…
State of Montana Held Accountable for Rolling Back Science-Based Water Quality Standards On Tuesday, May 10, 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) a letter disapproving core sections of Senate Bill 358 (SB…
Legal Clarification on SB 358 Rulemaking Still Absent On Monday, May 9, 2021 Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, Montana Environmental Information Center, Montana Trout Unlimited, Clark Fork Coalition, and Gallatin River Task Force submitted a letter to Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s…
Algal Blooms on the Gallatin Signal the Need for Pollution-Control Planning; Impairment Designation Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, Gallatin River Task Force, Montana Trout Unlimited, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and American Rivers filed a petition with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)…