Montanans for Healthy Rivers

Montanans for Healthy Rivers A coalition of river lovers working to conserve MT’s rivers and way of life 🌊 Clean water and healthy rivers drive our economy.

It is no exaggeration to call rivers the lifeblood of Montana. They provide us with drinking water, irrigation water, water for industry, and boundless recreational opportunities. The history of Montana is the history of its rivers, and so will be its future. Rivers also are at the heart of Montana’s outdoor way of life. Our river corridors support a rich community of fish, birds and wildlife, mor

e diverse and vibrant than any ecosystem in the state. Montana’s rivers are famous the world over for their thriving wild trout fisheries, their thrilling whitewater recreation, and their clean, clear water. Montana still has what the rest of the country wants – plentiful clean water and free-flowing streams. Montana’s rivers are critical to both our state’s prosperity and our unmatched way of life. Montanans know how to take care of our rivers, but they are facing unprecedented threats from out-of-state interests. Already, there are plans for hydropower projects, pipelines, and oil and gas drilling in some of our most treasured headwaters – development that, if done wrong, would forever harm anglers, boaters, irrigators and communities miles downstream. Montanans need to plan ahead for healthy rivers as we grow our economy and develop our natural resources. We do not want Montana to become like other arid, western states where many of their once-great rivers are piped and diverted out-of-state. Montanans for Healthy Rivers is a coalition of citizens, sportsmen, businesses and conservationists working to conserve the last, best free-flowing rivers in Montana – to keep Montana the way it is for future generations. We need your help and input to accomplish these goals. Visit our website: healthyriversMT.org

09/01/2026

From our friends Yellow Dog Flyfishing 🌊

Montana’s stream access laws are the best in the nation, but they only remain strong when Montanans stand together to protect them.

Join us Thursday, September 17, at the Emerson Lawn in Bozeman for the Montana Stream Access Rally.

Hear from conservation leaders, businesses, elected officials, and individuals whose livelihoods depend on access to Montana’s rivers and streams.

Live music, food trucks, b**r, beverages, and an important conversation about the future of public access.

This event is free and open to everyone.

Thursday, September 17
5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
The Emerson Lawn
111 S Grand Ave, Bozeman

Show up. Speak up. Protect Montana stream access.

08/31/2026

Several decisions affecting Montana’s rivers and headwaters are happening right now - and public participation matters.

Here are ways YOU can take action:

• SEPTEMBER 12 - RIVER ROOTED
Join the Bitterroot community at Hamilton River Park for an evening celebrating the river and the people working to protect it. Visit bitterrootwater.org for event details and tickets.

• SEPTEMBER 13 - SHEEP CREEK EXPLORATION
Tell the Bitterroot National Forest that a mineral-exploration proposal in the headwaters of the Bitterroot deserves a careful, transparent and science-based review. Our new one-page guide explains the proposal, how to submit a comment and includes sample language you can personalize.

• SEPTEMBER 19 - ROADLESS RULE
The USDA is proposing to rescind the Roadless Rule, threatening clean-water sources and undeveloped national forest lands across Montana and the country. Visit americanrivers.org and follow the action link in their profile to submit a personalized comment.

• ONGOING - SUPPORT THE GYREAT ACT
Add your endorsement for nearly 100 miles of Wild & Scenic protections across the Madison, Gallatin and key tributaries. Visit our website - healthyriversmt.org - to support this legislation.

A few minutes of your time can help shape decisions affecting Montana’s rivers for generations.

📹 Artlist https://canva.link/qirekgnebi2pbms?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_6a8ef82bad24e1c52ea3d363

The future of the Bitterroot River begins at its headwaters.U.S. Critical Materials has proposed mineral exploration nea...
08/27/2026

The future of the Bitterroot River begins at its headwaters.

U.S. Critical Materials has proposed mineral exploration near the confluence of Sheep Creek and the West Fork of the Bitterroot River - upstream of Painted Rocks Reservoir and within important habitat for native westslope cutthroat and federally threatened bull trout.

The current proposal is for exploration, not a commercial mine. But drilling, bulk sampling and excavated material near the river raise important questions about groundwater, sediment, runoff, water quality and reclamation. A decision at the headwaters deserves careful science, meaningful public involvement and a transparent review.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯.

We created a one-page guide explaining:

• What is currently being proposed
• Why the location warrants careful review
• Questions the Forest Service should address
• How and where to submit a comment
• Sample language you can personalize

Read the guide and submit your comment to the Forest Service - https://canva.link/qirekgnebi2pbms

📸 M. Haring

A potentially historic El Niño is taking shape in the Pacific and it could have important implications for Montana’s win...
08/25/2026

A potentially historic El Niño is taking shape in the Pacific and it could have important implications for Montana’s winter.

NOAA now gives El Niño a greater than 90% chance of becoming very strong during fall and winter 2026–27. For Montana and the Northern Rockies, the current outlook generally tilts toward warmer-than-normal temperatures, with parts of the region also facing increased odds of below-normal precipitation.

That does not mean there will be no snow, storms or bitterly cold stretches. Seasonal outlooks describe probabilities - not guarantees - and Montana’s mountain weather is never entirely predictable.

But after an exceptionally poor snowpack year, the broader signal deserves our attention. A warmer, potentially drier winter could mean less water stored as mountain snow, earlier runoff and additional pressure on rivers already carrying the effects of drought.

El Niño begins thousands of miles away, but what happens in the Pacific can shape the water flowing through Montana months later.

We’ll continue following the forecast as winter draws closer (data via the recently published NOAA ENSO Outlook).

📸 Ryan Lane of the Madison Range |

True or false: Coffee tastes better by the river.Obviously, true. ☕️ Especially when the view is wild and free-flowing.📸...
08/20/2026

True or false: Coffee tastes better by the river.

Obviously, true. ☕️ Especially when the view is wild and free-flowing.

📸 Ladies of the Smith | Jessica Haydahl Photography

This year marks 50 years since 219 miles of the Flathead River’s North, Middle and South Forks were protected under the ...
08/19/2026

This year marks 50 years since 219 miles of the Flathead River’s North, Middle and South Forks were protected under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act - a lasting gift to Montana’s fish, wildlife, communities and future generations.

The GYREAT Act gives us an opportunity to carry that legacy forward by adding nearly 100 miles of the Gallatin, Madison and select tributaries to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

The Flathead reminds us what lasting river protection can accomplish. Now, let’s write Montana’s next chapter.

📸 E. Marks |

In honor of National Nonprofit Day, we’re celebrating our core nonprofit partners whose experience, expertise and shared...
08/18/2026

In honor of National Nonprofit Day, we’re celebrating our core nonprofit partners whose experience, expertise and shared commitment make Montanans for Healthy Rivers possible!

Each organization brings a different strength to the table. Together, we are able to build thoughtful, durable and locally supported solutions for Montana’s rivers.

We are deeply grateful for their partnership - and for the people behind each organization who show up every day for clean water, healthy communities and the wild rivers that define our state.

Happy National Nonprofit Day to our coalition partners and to the many organizations working on behalf of Montana’s people and places.

Healthy, free-flowing rivers are part of Montana’s future - and protecting them starts with people like you.Add your nam...
08/13/2026

Healthy, free-flowing rivers are part of Montana’s future - and protecting them starts with people like you.

Add your name in support of Wild & Scenic protections for Montana’s rivers today. Every endorsement strengthens the call to keep these treasured waterways clean, free-flowing and protected for generations to come.

Endorse today at healthyriversmt.org.

A wet winter on paper does not always mean water in our rivers come August.Montana’s 2026 Summer Water Supply Outlook sh...
08/11/2026

A wet winter on paper does not always mean water in our rivers come August.

Montana’s 2026 Summer Water Supply Outlook shows why precipitation totals alone do not tell the full story. The state received moisture this winter, but record warmth changed how that water moved through our watersheds.
More precipitation fell as rain. Snow melted earlier. Runoff arrived sooner. By summer, many rivers were left with less cold water during the season when communities, agriculture, recreation, and fish and wildlife need it most.

The report is a warning that Montana’s water future will depend not only on how much precipitation we receive, but on how effectively our watersheds can collect, store, and gradually release it.

There is no single solution to drought. But protecting intact headwaters and free-flowing rivers is one action we can take now to avoid placing additional pressure on increasingly limited water resources.

Montana cannot afford to wait until its rivers are in crisis to decide they were worth protecting.

Read the 2026 Summer Water Supply Outlook and explore Montana's Drought Management database at drought.mt.gov.

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2505 Garfield
Missoula, MT
59801

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