Update: Yellowstone Club Wastewater Spill and Steps Moving Forward

The illegal 35 million gallon wastewater discharge in the Gallatin River has stopped, but the larger issues of how Big Sky grows and addresses wastewater, stormwater, and landscape pollution remain. Update 1:    The Spill Has Stopped As of early Monday,…

Opposing Bad Hydropower Legislation

Upper Missouri Waterkeeper is working with a broad coalition in opposing proposed federal legislation that would gut important rules concerning hydropower regulation.  The 25,000 sq. miles of SW and West-Central Montana’s Upper Missouri River Basin possess nearly a dozen dams,…

Comments on Montana’s General Permit for Suction Dredging

On March 30th, 2015 we submitted these technical comments to the Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality concerning its proposed renewal of a General Permit for Suction Dredge operations.   Montana administers a federally-delegated permit program that regulates how, where, and when…

River Report Cards

    Landscapes and waterways of Southwest and West‐Central Montana are changing. Population growth, evolving land uses, and climate change are affecting local fisheries and water quality from the main‐stem Missouri to headwaters in the Big Hole. These threats affect…

Notice of Intent to Sue EPA for Failure to Act on Montana’s New Water Quality Standards

Today we sent EPA a Notice of Intent to Sue (NOI) under the federal Clean Water Act for failure to approve or disapprove Montana’s numeric nutrient water quality standards. Click here to read our NOI. Click here to read a…

Montana DEQ Gives Initial OK for Mining in Smith River Headwaters

On January 15, 2014 Montana DEQ gave approval to Tintina Alaska Exploration, Inc. to develop an “exploratory decline” outside White Sulfur Springs for the Black Butte Copper Mine. Digging this decline is the first step in potentially developing full-scale mining,…

Upper Missouri Waterkeeper of Montana Approved!

Last week the Waterkeeper Alliance’s Board of Directors approved Upper Missouri Waterkeeper (UMW) as the newest member of the Waterkeeper Family. The addition of UMW literally doubles the number of Waterkeeper programs in Montana! Our friend and partner – the…