Citizen Science- Water Quality Monitoring Training
Monday, May 6th, 2024
12:30 - 2:30 PM
Blankenship River Access Site
***RSVP for Training Required***
WHY MONITOR
Flathead Rivers Alliance seeks volunteers to help with water quality monitoring efforts on the North and Middle Forks of the Flathead Wild & Scenic River. We all seek a better understanding of impacts that an increase in river users, population, and changing climate trends will have on the river corridor. Gathering baseline monitoring data will also help our stakeholder groups determine how to focus nonpoint source pollution education and outreach, and where and how to expand monitoring. Monitoring runs May through October.
TRAINING PARTNERS
Thanks to a grant from Montana Monitoring Waters (MMW) we are honored to host Dr. Rachel Malison, Jared Glass, and Brianna Elizondo from Flathead Lake Biological Station’s Montana Montana Waters program to lead the May 6th citizen science training.
CITIZEN SCIENCE BACKGROUND
Adventure Scientists, a non-profit organization, coordinated a 3-year nationwide baseline data collection on all Wild & Scenic Rivers across the nation using citizen scientists from 2020-2023 (www.adventurescientists.org/rivers.html). On the Three Forks of the Flathead Wild & Scenic River they assessed parameters (pH, DO, TDS, salinity, temperature, Total Nitrogen, and Total Phosphorus) at select sites on both the Middle and North Forks of the Flathead Rivers. Their monitoring project ended spring 2023 and Flathead Rivers Alliance piloted program summer 2023. Flathead Rivers Alliance will continue those efforts initiated by Adventure Scientists to combine water quality data to have a better understanding of baseline quality, trends, and build a relevant database towards future conservation and management efforts in the Flathead Headwaters (Three Forks of the Flathead River) watershed.
CONTACT
Email us at info@flatheadrivers.org if you have any questions.
RSVP to help us with estimated head count:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4EA8A92DA1FBC25-48774421-2024
Program Support
Thank you to our funding partners Monitoring Montana Waters, Flathead National Forest and Flathead Resource Advisory Committee, those who donate to our mission work and Adventure Scientists for in-kind supply donations.
Developing a water quality monitoring plan attuned to threats to the water quality of the 3 Forks of the Flathead River, and to the information needs of the public has been a mutual goal of Flathead Rivers Alliance and the Flathead National Forest, per the partners’ Challenge Cost Share Agreement.