Commissioners weaken selenium standard

by David Brooks, executive Director, Montana Trout Unlimited; Andrew Gorder, legal director, Clark Fork Coalition; Ellie Hudson-Heck, conservation assistant, Idaho Conservation League; Derf Johnson, Clean Water Program director and staff attorney, Montana Environmental Information Center Commissioners not telling the truth about selenium standard As the adage goes: everyone is entitled…

Gianforte administration makes wrong move on bad actor suit

By: JAMES C. NELSON The Preamble to our state’s Constitution speaks to the importance of Montana’s quiet beauty, the grandeur of our mountains, and the vastness of our rolling plains as underpinning our desire to improve our quality of life, equality of opportunity and to secure the blessings of liberty…

2020 Field Update

2020 in the Clark Fork Watershed: Cleaner, healthier, and more resilient — thanks to you No surprise: the pandemic turned things upside down in the Clark Fork watershed in 2020. But ultimately, it did nothing to alter stream restoration opportunities or ongoing ecological challenges. So our work carried on. And…

Clean Smurfit Now

Written by Abby Volkmann* Montana has some of the nation’s richest backcountry wildlands, with habitat for grizzly bears and mountain lions, exceptionally clear skies, and solitude. These pristine areas, however, are under threat by climate change, urbanization, and over-allocation of water supplies. Missoula and its surrounding communities are working hard…

2019 Legislative Wrap-Up

Montana’s 66th legislative session is officially over! As with any legislative session, 2019 was not without its challenges, unforeseen obstacles, and last-minute dealings, but all things considered, the session was a success in terms of the Clark Fork Coalition’s priority issues. Here’s how things shook out on key pieces of…

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are threatening our watershed now more than ever. The detection of invasive mussels in Tiber Reservoir last October dropped the possibility of a massively destabilized Clark Fork Watershed at our back door. What exactly do these new threats mean for our watershed? What are they?  Aquatic invasive…

Quiet Waters, Healthy Rivers

Everyone deserves the chance to experience and enjoy our waterways. At the Coalition, we've discovered that those who get out on the river are also more inclined to engage in its long-term care. The Problem: High-speed watercraft present a safety hazard to non-motorized vessels, bank fishermen, swimmers, and other river…

Remove the toxins. Restore the river.

We’re on the cusp of turning a wasteland back into a waterway at the old Smurfit-Stone Mill Site. Thirty years ago, the Clark Fork Coalition was founded by a group of citizens concerned about pollution from a pulp and paper mill just west of Missoula. We asked the state to…

Making sure the Clark Fork stays the healthy heart of Missoula

New 'Urban River Restoration and Access Project' aims to improve the river corridor and recreation downtown Summer has arrived in Montana, glazing the Missoula Valley in heat waves that make the river look oh-so-tempting. The shores of the Clark Fork come to life, as floaters, hikers, dog-walkers, birders, anglers, and swimmers…

It’s Time to Pass the Water Rights Compact

(Updated April 8):  While we are tracking several water-related bills this session, no piece of legislation is more important for the future of water management in Montana than Senate Bill 262 - which would ratify the Water Rights Compact between the State of Montana and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai…