Conservation Districts:
- Are responsible for nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control at the local level. Conservation districts work with federal and state agencies to identify and prioritize areas affected by NPS pollution. They also work to conduct projects that demonstrate NPS pollution control practices. Click on the Water Quality tab to the right to learn more about NPS pollution.
- Coordinate and/or participate in local efforts to increase the effectiveness of resource management and watershed planning activities on private, county, state and federal land.
- Sponsor and conduct landowner workshops, produce and distribute informational materials, and conduct demonstration projects and tours of riparian management techniques.
To learn more about our water in our geographical area, water quality, stormwater, drinking water or conserving water, choose one of the tabs to the right.
Water Resources News
- Advanced Stormwater Control & Management Certification Workshop This is an advanced course in Best Management Practices for Storm Water and Erosion Control. Upon successful completion of this course, individuals will be certified as a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) Administrator.
- Flood Awareness Day Come watch the Flathead HS 9th graders compete to build the best levee. Contest around 1 pm...
- Flathead River Commission Meeting Open to the public....
- Grants for Water Quality Trading Credits Pay off Double The Natural Resources Conservation Service is providing up to $10 million in Conservation Innovation Grants for projects that enhance the effectiveness of water quality credit trading. A producer who implements conservation practices to reduce water quality pollutants can also benefit by generating water quality market credits that could be sold in an open market – reducing the cost of implementing and maintaining the conservation practices.
- Water Quality Technical Advisory Group Meeting You are invited to attend a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting regarding the Flathead total maximum daily load (TMDL) project. The purpose of this meeting is to present and discuss the technical details of the Flathead Lake watershed nutrient and sediment model.
Flathead River Channel Migration Zone Study
The Flathead River Channel Migration Zone maps are now available in the Flathead County GIS database, so that county staff can access it readily and others may call and request the GIS layers or printed maps.
The CMZ maps (PDF) and Final Report are also available for download from the Flathead Lakers and the River to Lake Initiative websites, and are available at the Flathead Conservation Districts office.
Clearing House for Montana Water Information
Don’t know where to start to find water information? A good place to try is the Montana Water website, produced by the Montana Water Center, part of MSU in Bozeman. Click on this link to go there: http://water.montana.edu/default.asp
Water Videos on YouTube
The MSU Extension Water Quality Program has created a set of videos on various water topics that can be viewed via YouTube. If your home well is impaired by iron bacteria, how do you shock chlorinate it? Which of the rules of thumb for managing a septic system are based on science, and which are old wives’ tales? You had your water tested – now how can you interpret all those numbers? Nothing fancy, but these videos do a fine job of demonstrating some of the solutions to water issues faced by ordinary Montanans. Visit the MSU Extension Water Quality Program YouTube Channel to view all of their videos.
Water Resource Links
Watersmart Montana http://www.watersmartmt.com/resources.html
Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality http://www.deq.mt.gov/wqinfo/index.asp
Montana DNRC Water Resources http://dnrc.mt.gov/wrd/default.asp
Montana Watershed Coordination Council http://water.montana.edu/watersheds/default.asp
Snow, water and climate information http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/index.html
Flathead Lakers http://www.flatheadlakers.org/
EPA WaterSense http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/
What is a watershed? http://www.conservationinformation.com