Arrowstone Park
Background Arrowstone Park, located in the Upper Clark Fork River sub-basin in Deer Lodge, MT, was…
Our Work
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Blue Copper Mining ProjectBackground The project spans a 10,816-acre footprint across Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest (USFS) and BLM lands in Powell and Lewis and Clark Counties. Falcon Copper proposes up to 127 drill pads, up to 5 drill rigs operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and approximately 41… -
Columbia Gold Mine Exploration ProjectBackground With prices of gold at an all-time high, many mining projects that were previously shelved are receiving renewed interest. This includes a potential gold mine project that could present a very real threat to the Blackfoot watershed. Great Plains Mining LLC (“GPM” -a subsidiary of Australian-based Sentinel Metals) purchased land… -
Sheep Creek Mine ProposalBackground We’ve been tracking the proposed Sheep Creek Mine project – located in the headwaters of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River — since its inception, and we were among the roughly 500 concerned citizens and conservation groups that joined an emergency hearing in front of the Ravalli County Commissioners in… -
Exempt WellsBackground In 1973, the Montana Legislature passed the Water Use Act, which created a process for permitting new water rights. To reduce permitting burdens on small, individual users, it exempted groundwater use for “domestic, agricultural, or livestock purposes.” This meant applicants did not have to prove that the water… -
Sager Lane Pin & Plank Diversion RemovalRestoring Flow and Fish Passage at Sager Lane In September 2024, we began work to remove a century-old “pin and plank” irrigation… -
Mike Horse Mine CleanupIn the 1940s, miners used metals-laced tailings to build the Mike Horse Dam at the origins of the Blackfoot River on Beartrap Creek near the Continental Divide. In 1975, the tailings dam blew out, dumping deadly levels of lead, copper and zinc into the Blackfoot. The mine’s corporate owner, ASARCO,… -
Protecting Selenium Standards in Lake KoocanusaBackground: Lake Koocanusa is a long, narrow 90-mile reservoir created by the Libby Dam in Northwestern Montana. It’s headwaters and mountainous shoreline reach across the border into British Columbia, Canada where the Kootenay, Bull, and Elk rivers feed into the lake. Id. The reservoir’s snow-fed waters support diverse aquatic species, including… -
Broken Circle Diversion UpgradeHistorically, Broken Circle Ranch rebuilt their irrigation diversion every summer using broken concrete and streambed material, which resulted in passage issues for fish and recreationists. In 2023, the ranch worked with the Coalition to install an innovative floating… -
Community Science MonitoringOn Miller Creek, community science volunteers assessed habitat, noxious weeds, and riparian vegetation species diversity pre- and post stream restoration at two sites. Community science is scientific work undertaken by members of the public in collaboration with professional scientists and scientific institutions. When community members and scientists work together,… -
Grant Creek RestorationGrant Creek Watershed Restoration Grant Creek is a tributary of the Clark Fork River that originates… -
River AmbassadorsDuring the summer, Missoula River Ambassadors can be spotted at busy river access sites and community events, on popular day-float stretches, and immersed in conservation and restoration projects dotting Missoula’s urban river corridor. This team of community ambassadors guides the ever-growing river-recreation culture toward stewardship. During peak river season…