At the Coalition, we keep tabs on projects that could potentially impact clean water in the Clark Fork basin. From lingering pollution problems, to impacts from new projects, to harms caused by nonnative species, we work with diverse partners to protect what matters most in our watershed.

We work closely with private landowners, conservation partners and public agencies on projects to remove contamination, add water to depleted creeks, reconnect tributaries to main-stem rivers, and improve habitat for fish and wildlife.

The future of the Clark Fork watershed depends on the people who use it. We educate adults young people about watershed basics, provide hands-on volunteer opportunities, hold community events and river cleanups, and work to inspire and train our communities to keep our rivers healthy for the long haul.

Monitoring the health of our creeks and streams tells us how the Clark Fork basin is faring, and how our projects are performing. Our restoration and water leasing projects span hundreds of miles of the Clark Fork basin–we are committed to ensuring these projects are effective for improving habitat and water quality.

Historic floods in the early 1900s deposited 120 miles of toxic mining waste along banks of the Clark Fork River headwaters. Most of that waste is still there today, concentrated primarily on working ranchlands in the Deer Lodge Valley. In 2005, the Clark Fork Coalition purchased a working ranch smack dab in the middle of the Clark Fork Superfund site to see first-hand how a cleanup would impact a working cow-calf operation.