Clark Fork Watershed Resources:
Watershed Education Network (WEN): The Watershed Education Network (WEN) started in 1996 as a volunteer effort based in Missoula, Montana. Ten years later, WEN offers monitoring instruction to citizen scientists, professional workshops, and experiential education programs to local schools.
Blackfoot Challenge: The Blackfoot Challenge is a landowner-based group that coordinates management of the Blackfoot River, its tributaries, and adjacent lands. The Mission of The Blackfoot Challenge is to coordinate efforts that will enhance, conserve and protect the natural resources and rural lifestyles of the Blackfoot River Valley for present and future generations.
Clark Fork Coalition: The Clark Fork Coalition is dedicated to protecting and restoring the Clark Fork River basin, which stretches from Butte, Montana to Sandpoint, Idaho. As a member-supported group of citizens, scientists, recreationists, and business leaders, the Coalition focuses on a simple vision: protect the clean water and river life that is here; restore what should be here and is not.
Clark Fork River Technical Assistance Committee (CFRTAC): CFRTAC is a diverse group of Western Montanans who have volunteered to work with the EPA, the responsible parties, and others to try to make the Superfund process and cleanup options understandable for all.
Butte Citizens Technical Environmental Committee (CTEC): CTEC provides technical comments and public outreach on the Superfund process for Silver Bow Creek and other sites.
EPA Clark Fork Basin Superfund Information: Technical information from the Environmental Protection Agency about Superfund activities in and around the Clark Fork Basin.
Clark Fork Watershed Superfund Documentation by Todd Trigsted: An artist's perspective on Superfund activities in and around Butte, Montana.
Earth Observatory - Berkeley Pit: Butte, Montana: A photograph of the Berkeley Pit and the surrounding area taken from space, accompanied by some basic information about the history of the area and current restoration activities.
EcoRover: This blog, from Butte resident and CFWEP Advisory Board member Pat Munday, is a tale of two rivers: the Clark Fork at the headwaters of the Columbia; and the Big Hole at the headwaters of the Missouri.
Opportunity Citizens Protection Association: A group working to promote the community, health, and environmental welfare of Opportunity, Montana, which is located near the Superfund waste repository site for the Upper Clark Fork Basin (formerly known as the Opportunity Ponds). For more information, contact:
Box 646,
Anaconda, MT 59711, ocpa@hotmail.com
President Serge Myers 797-3334; opporfam72@yahoo.com
PR George Niland 797-3343; regulator1@rfwave.net
Sec. Maureen Robinson 797-3546; motown59711@peoplepc.com
ECOS Program - No Child Left Indoor!: A partnership program for enhancing teaching skills of graduate students in the sciences and promoting hands-on science education in K-12 schools. We use the schoolyard and adjacent open areas in western Montana as outdoor laboratories for learning about the environment.
Clark Fork School Blog: Clark Fork School is a pre-school through 5th grade independent school located in the Rattlesnake Valley of Missoula, Montana. This parent cooperative school has educated Missoula children for 25 years and is expanding its facility and offering of a place-based centered curriculum. This blog is intended to share exciting developments about the building of the school's new "green" facility and keep the community connected during the summer months.
Montana Natural History Center: The mission of the Montana Natural History Center is to promote and cultivate the appreciation, understanding and stewardship of nature through education. MNHC is a non-profit organization founded in 1991 by a group of educators who had the vision to create a natural history center as a resource for schools and the public. Originally housed on the University of Montana campus, MNHC continued to grow and outgrow its rented space at Fort Missoula. In 2004, MNHC purchased its first home at 120 Hickory Street, at the edge of McCormick Park in the heart of Missoula.
PitWatch: The Web version of PitWatch, an informational newspaper about Butte's Berkeley Pit published by the Berkeley Pit Public Education Committee, with the purpose of educating Butte residents and students about the Berkeley Pit and surrounding underground mine-flooding areas.
Montana Watershed Resources:
Montana Watershed Coordination Council (MWCC): The MWCC serves as a statewide coordination network for Montana's natural resource agencies and private organizations and a forum for local watershed groups to help enhance, conserve, and protect natural resources and sustain the high quality of life in Montana for present and future generations. MWCC encourages local people to take a proactive, collaborative approach that will address natural resource issues and concerns.
Montana Watercourse: A statewide water education program that supports water resource decision making and stewardship by providing unbiased information, resources, tools and education to all water users, housed on the MSU Campus in Bozeman, Montana, and an arm of the Montana Water Center.
Montana Environmental Education Association (MEEA): The MEEA promotes and celebrates an environmentally responsible citizenry through education and the support of a statewide network of professionals, students and volunteers.
Project WET - Water Education for Teachers: The mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators, and communities of the world with water education.
Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ): The DEQ's mission is to protect, sustain, and improve a clean and healthful environment to benefit present and future generations.
Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC): The DNRC promotes stewardship of Montana’s water, soil, forest, and rangeland resources; regulates forest practices and oil and gas exploration and production, and administers several grant and loan programs.
Montana Trout Unlimited: Montana Trout Unlimited's mission is to conserve, protect, and restore Montana's world-class coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.
Montana Bureau of Mines & Geology: The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology is the principal source of earth science information for the citizens of Montana. Since 1919, it has been mandated to conduct research and assist in the orderly development of the state's mineral and water resources.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP): Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, through its employees and citizen commission, provides for the stewardship of the fish, wildlife, parks and recreational resources of Montana, while contributing to the quality of life for present and future generations.
Montana Natural Resource Damage Program (NRDP): The NRDP was created in 1990 to prepare the state's lawsuit against the Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO) for injuries to the natural resources in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin (UCFRB).
The Center for Riverine Science (University of Montana): An interdisciplinary research group advancing our knowledge of natural stream function and developing methods and procedures to mitigate impacted stream systems.
The Avian Science Center (University of Montana): The mission of the Avian Science Center is to promote ecological awareness and informed decision making through the collection, synthesis, and dissemination of science-based information on western birds.
University of Montana Watershed Health Clinic: The Clinic matches watershed groups with University students and staff with backgrounds in watershed science, planning and action.
Montana Water Center: Established in 1964 by an act of Congress, the Montana Water Center advances water research, information, education, and problem-solving partnerships throughout the state of Montana and beyond. It is one of 54 Centers in the nation collectively known as the Water Resources Research Institutes.
USGS Water Resources of Montana: The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) Montana Water Science Center investigates the occurrence, quantity, quality, and movement of surface water and ground water in Montana and adjacent areas. The Center also serves as a point of contact and liaison for all USGS activities in Montana.
USGS Realtime Streamflow Data for Montana
Montana Audubon: Montana Audubon promotes appreciation, knowledge and conservation of native birds, other wildlife, and their habitats.
TERRA: The Nature of Our World *Video Podcast*: LIFEONTERRA is a collaborative filmspace and laboratory exploring the questions and ideas on the cutting-edge of science and at the farthest horizons of the natural world. The "TERRA: The Nature of Our World" video podcast launched in October 2005. TERRA films have been downloaded over one million times.
State of Montana Plant & Animal Field Guide: These guides and this website are a collaborative effort between the Montana Natural Heritage Program and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The Animal Field Guide provides information on identification, habitat, ecology, reproduction, range, and distribution of Montana's animals; new features include a hierarchal approach to finding an animal of interest, thumbnail photos of the animals and additional links. The Plant Field Guide offers information on plant species of concern, including references and photographs.
Discover Montana's Ecosystems: FWP's new "Discover Montana Ecosystems" website is designed to provide educators and families with new, interactive, and entertaining learning opportunities aimed at increasing their youngsters' awareness and understanding of the flora, fauna, and natural processes that are a part of life in Montana. The website was created to meet specific science curriculum standards and is designed to provide upper elementary and middle school teachers with in-the-classroom projects specifically geared to Montana communities. Much of the fish and wildlife information contained within the website is associated with FWP's recently completed Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Management Strategy, which lists and assesses the condition of 170 fish and wildlife habitats—from the mountains to the prairies—and the animals that live there.
Montana Natural Heritage Program: The state's source for reliable, objective information and expertise to support stewardship of our native species and habitats, emphasizing those of conservation concern.
Watershed News Resources:
High Country News: High Country News is a nonprofit media organization whose mission is to inform and inspire people to act on behalf of the West's land, air, water and inhabitants.
New West: New West is a next-generation media company dedicated to the culture, economy, politics, environment and lifestyle of the Rocky Mountain West.
Other Resources:
The Montana Governor and First Lady’s Math and Science Initiative: The Governor and First Lady’s Math and Science Initiative invites Montana’s youth to discover the many opportunities to learn about science and math in K-12 schools and higher education, find out about careers in science and explore Montana’s splendid surroundings.
River of Words: A California-based, nationally known 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We’ve been conducting training workshops for teachers, park naturalists, grassroots groups, state resource agencies, librarians and others since 1995, helping them to incorporate observation-based nature exploration and the arts into their work with young people. In addition to helping improve children’s literacy—and cognitive skills like investigation and critical thinking—River of Words’ multidisciplinary, hands-on approach to education nurtures students’ creative voices as well, through instruction and practice in art and poetry.
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: The mission of the Elk Foundation is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat.
US Forest Service: Established in 1905, the Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Forest Service manages public lands in national forests and grasslands.
Science in Your Watershed (USGS): Numerous resource links relating to general watershed science.
US EPA Water Information: The Office of Water (OW) is responsible for implementing the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, and similar legislation. Activities are targeted to prevent pollution wherever possible and to reduce risk for people and ecosystems in the most cost-effective ways possible.
Tri-State Water Quality Council: The non-profit Tri-State Water Quality Council is a successful partnership of diverse community interests—including citizens, business, industry, tribes, government, and environmental groups—working together to improve and protect water quality throughout the 26,000 square mile Clark Fork-Pend Oreille watershed. The watershed includes the Clark Fork River in western Montana, Pend Oreille Lake in northern Idaho, and the Pend Oreille River in eastern Washington.
Educating Young People About Water: Educating Young People About Water (EYPAW) guides and water curricula database provide assistance for developing a community-based, youth water education program. These resources target youth and link educators to key community members to build partnerships to meet common water education goals.
Virtual River Exercises: Two interactive exercises designed to help you learn about river processes like discharge, flooding, and flood frequency.
Montana View: MontanaView is a consortium of universities, non-profit organizations and government agencies working within Montana to advance the availability and timely distribution of remotely sensed data.
Learning Science.org: A free and open learning community for sharing newer and emerging tools to teach science.
American Wildlands: Guided by science, American Wildlands advocates for the protection, restoration and connectivity of the wild landscapes and the mountain-fed waters of the U.S. Northern Rocky Mountain region.
Montana Wildlife Federation: Montana Wildlife Federation is an organization of conservation minded people who share a mission to protect and enhance Montana's public wildlife, lands, waters, and fair chase hunting and fishing heritage.
Adopt a Watershed: Adopt-A-Watershed (AAW) is a non-profit organization that promotes educational enhancement, environmental stewardship, and community development through Place-Based Learning.
Oregon State University Watershed Extension: The OSE Watershed Extension mission is to increase the capacity of Oregon watershed groups and communities for conserving, improving, protecting, and sustaining watershed functions and values. Increasing capacity is achieved through research-based education, skill-building projects, and new partnerships among residents, local organizations, businesses, agencies, and educational institutions.
EPA's STOrage and RETrieval System (STORET): The U.S. EPA maintains two data management systems containing water quality information for the nation's waters: the Legacy Data Center (LDC), and STORET. The LDC is a static, archived database and STORET is an operational system actively being populated with water quality data.
EPA's Manual for Maintenance of Dirt and Gravel Roads: EPA provided a grant to Pennsylvania State University to help create a document for a general audience interested in integrating environmental concerns into their unpaved roads program. Dirt and gravel roads are increasingly being recognized as having a significant impact on water resources. Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance for Dirt and Gravel Roads is a 300-page manual which identifies, documents, and encourages the use of environmentally sensitive maintenance of dirt and gravel roads. While the document was prepared to focus primarily on the Pennsylvania environment, it does address issues and solutions that span any specific location.
EPA's Stormwater Pollution Prevention Guide for Construction Operators: EPA's Developing Your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan: A Guide for Construction Sites, is an easy-to-read reference for construction site operators who require National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit coverage for their stormwater discharges. The information in this guide explains the basic principles of developing and maintaining an effective stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP). It can be used at most construction sites in any state, territory, or in Indian country.
To suggest additional resource links, email jringsak@mtech.edu