Guest column: The Gallatin River runs through it
By Kristin Gardner and Holly Hill Guest columnists
Link to Bozeman Daily Chronicle Article
Since Brad Pitt waded in the Gallatin River in 1992 during filming of “A River Runs Through It,” the population of Gallatin County has exploded from 50,000 residents to over 122,000. Additionally our changing climate is bringing hotter, drier summers and leaner winters. The health of the Gallatin is threatened, and it requires all hands on deck to preserve this vital liquid asset.
From ranchers, boaters, anglers, wildlife enthusiasts, and general residents — we all have a vested interest in keeping the Gallatin running clean, clear, and cool. By working together, we can reach that goal.
Watershed groups are recognized nationwide as a model for local communities to gather and address their most pressing water woes. They are non-regulatory, and non-litigious, open to all. Watershed groups listen — collecting worries, stories, wants, and needs from all interest groups. They serve as a point of contact for agencies, foundations, and private donors to funnel resources — be it technical or financial — to priority projects identified by local communities. In the Gallatin Watershed, we are fortunate to have two watershed groups working for the betterment of the entire river.
The Gallatin River Task Force is based in Big Sky and serves the upper Gallatin watershed from Yellowstone National Park to the confluence with Spanish Creek. The Task Force was originally formed over twenty years ago to collect water data on the Gallatin. Because of concerns about water quality, water supply, and increasing river use, the focus of the Task Force has grown to include a wider scope of priorities.
The Gallatin River Task Force has created a guiding restoration strategy for the upper reaches of the Gallatin and are celebrating completed projects such as the Moose Creek and Deer Creek access restoration and are currently tackling a similar project near the Porcupine access. Thanks to data collected by the Task Force over the past 20 years, the community has prioritized a new wastewater treatment plant with higher treatment standards and also created the new Gallatin Canyon Water and Sewer District that will provide centralized wastewater treatment to neighborhoods adjacent to the Gallatin.
Downstream of Spanish Creek and serving the Lower Gallatin Watershed, the Gallatin Watershed Council was formed in 2004 to restore the impaired streams in the Gallatin Valley, collaborate with all water users, and educate one of the fastest growing areas in the nation about this invaluable resource. Bozeman is currently growing at a rate of 2.65% annually, and the hot, dry summers are drastically affecting the Lower Gallatin as agriculture, wildlife, and development heavily depend upon the river.
In 2021, GWC spearheaded the formation of the Gallatin Water Collaborative, a group of stakeholders working to unify local efforts to protect, restore and enhance water resources in the Gallatin Valley. Many hands make swift work and GWC has astutely focused on being a connection point for the resource. GWC has also worked shoulder to shoulder with both the Forest Service and private landowners affected by the Bridger Foothills Fire to assist in wildland fire remediation efforts to reduce erosion, protect against weeds and invasive species, and provide replanting education.
Out of the many projects both of our groups tackle, our most important efforts are education and advocacy. Our volunteer programs provide needed data, workshops, and events to engage our communities up and down the entire length of the Gallatin. Active communities are critical to our project work and as our counties grow, our work to steward our watershed must grow too. We are proud to work together — with our communities and with organizations like Big Sky SNO, Trout Unlimited, Gallatin Conservation District, and so many more — to protect the length of the Gallatin River. We need your help, join us.