Montana Water Quality Advocacy

If the outside is as important to you as it is to us here at Fins and Feathers Guides Service, now is the time to pay attention and help support those entities whose goals align with yours.

We have been active supporters of Upper Missouri Waterkeeper here in Southwest Montana for well over a decade. During that time, we have watched them stand up to protect the water quality of Montana’s legendary waterways. They aren’t afraid to ruffle feathers in their pursuit to protect the Treasure State’s most important resources.

Please take a few minutes to learn more about this world-class, Bozeman-based conservation group and consider joining us in supporting their efforts!

Upper Missouri Waterkeeper

Upper Missouri Waterkeeper (UMW) is Montana’s expert voice on clean water laws and a leading nonpartisan advocate for the headwaters of our nation’s largest river system and the communities that depend on them.

They use a combination of legal advocacy, strong science, and on-river patrols to defend against urgent pollution threats and empower citizens in standing up for their right to clean water.

In the courtroom, before decision-makers, and in local communities, UMW works for a fishable, swimmable, and drinkable Upper Missouri Watershed for present and future generations. Standing with a grassroots support network across 25,000 square miles, they are helping Montanans and Americans defend these irreplaceable waterways and the diversity of uses they support.

Examples of Their Work:

• Protecting the Gallatin River from irresponsible development and advocating for science-based protections for river and fishery health.
• Defending and enforcing science-based pollution control standards for Montana’s waterways.
• Stopping new commercial-scale development projects on wild trout streams.
• Challenging Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ refusal to apply public instream flow rights to help fisheries during summer low-flow conditions.
• Identifying, tracking, and challenging harmful sprawl development while empowering citizens to demand smarter science-driven solutions.
• Strengthening local zoning and state regulations to better protect our rivers, streams and drinking water - before it’s too late.

Recent Victories Achieved for Clean Water Include:

• Winning a lawsuit challenging reckless new mega-septic systems near the Gallatin River that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality unlawfully permitted without adequate review.
• Securing a landmark victory for water resources, water rights, and rural communities in our lawsuit challenging the unlawful approval of a major trophy ranch subdivision, Horse Creek Hills.
• Launching the Save Wild Trout campaign, a science-focused program conducting a water quality monitoring program on the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby, Boulder, and Jefferson Rivers in response to the historically low wild trout populations.
• Successfully petitioned the Department of Environmental Quality to list the Gallatin River as an impaired waterway after five years of algal blooms.
• Securing a preliminary injunction stopping wastewater disposal from a new regional treatment system at the gates of Yellowstone National Park, which was approved without any public participation, violating Montanans’ constitutional rights.
• Stopping a wastewater pollution permit for the Lazy J South subdivision in Big Sky that the State permitted without looking at the impacts of wastewater on nearby water resources.

Support Conservation

Upper Missouri Waterkeeper’s work to defend your right to fishable, swimmable, drinkable water is made possible by supporters like you. They don’t receive government funding and accept no money from corporate polluters.

Please join us and consider making a donation to power this critical work protecting Montana’s waters.

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