Federal Approval of Montana’s Numeric Nutrient Standards Repeal Threatens Clean Water Protections Nationwide Upper Missouri Waterkeeper is raising the alarm that the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could set a dangerous, polluter-friendly precedent by approving the State of Montana’s…
On November 17, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps announced a proposed rule that will narrowly define “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) in a way that will drastically eliminate federal Clean Water Act…
What is this lawsuit about?This case is about government transparency, public participation, and environmental accountability. It challenges DEQ’s June 2025 approval of a new sewer pipeline in Big Sky that was authorized without any public notice, opportunity for public participation,…
In early July, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper submitted comments to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on the proposed groundwater discharge permit renewal for the Red Creek Sewer facility near Hebgen Reservoir. The Red Creek Ranch Wastewater Facility, located on…
In early July, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper and its members secured a partial preliminary injunction against wastewater disposal from the Deep Well Ranch Regional Wastewater System, a new non-publicly noticed wastewater facility serving two KOA campgrounds used by tourists in West…
Montana’s Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is proposing significant changes to its groundwater pollution discharge permitting rules, and some of the changes are for the worse. In Montana, groundwater connectivity to nearby surface waters has been well documented and is…
State Violated Constitutional Right to Know and Right to Participate in Agency Decision-Making On Friday, October 13, 2023, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper and its members filed a complaint against the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for its approval of the…
Waterkeeper and National Organizations File Comments to Improve Statewide CAFO Permitting Yesterday, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper and several national organizations submitted technical comments to the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) on the proposed renewal of the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation…
The U.S. Supreme Court dramatically curtailed Clean Water Act protections with its ruling in Sackett v. EPA, favoring polluters over the health of wetlands and headwater creeks across Montana and the nation. Let’s back up. What was the Sackett v….
Governor Has Ignored Calls for Cold Water Fisheries Task Force Recent reporting from the Montana Standard exposed an emergency situation on the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby, and Jefferson rivers. Wild trout populations in these rivers have plummeted to 50-year+ historic…
