January 27, 2016

You, your family, and your friends are invited to the annual Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) on Saturday, February 27th, right here in the Bitterroot Valley. 

For F3T's tenth year, dedicated anglers share their amazing stories from across the globe. From South America, Asia, and even our own Montana, these fly fishers are in pursuit of the biggest and wildest fish.

January 6, 2016

Our new Big Sky Watershed Corps member has arrived for 2016. Stephanie comes to us from Ohio as a recent graduate in environmental biology. She is an avid hiker and angler who is looking forward to using her past experiences in restoration and passion for the outdoors to help the BRWF have another exciting and positive year here in the Bitterroot Valley!

December 2, 2015

What did you do for Thanksgiving? Get any good deals on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday or Cyber Monday?  After all that family, friends and being thankful it is time for #GivingTuesday a global movement of giving. An opportunity to give back to your community and your watershed.

November 24, 2015

As we get in to the full swing of the holiday season it is a great time to look back on the year and be thankful for what you have achieved.

Come help us celebrate all of those achievements at our annual holiday party!

My time left as the Big Sky Watershed Corps Member at BRWF is drying up.  It makes my eyes water to realize that this is my final week.  I remember hopping on board with the team in January and composing my first introductory email, and it feels too soon to be waving goodbye. 

October 21, 2015

I ran into a BRWF supporter at the Post Office today and he asked if things were slowing down now that fall is here.  I told him it's just the opposite - we're in the midst of our largest ever restoration project, offering adult education programs, and beginning another year of the Earth Stewardship Program for valley 7th graders. 
 

September 10, 2015

This tour begins with a classroom introduction to irrigation in Montana and follows with a field trip to Bitter Root Irrigation District and Daly Ditches Irrigation District infrastructure.  Water resource professionals will speak at three different field stops.

August 24, 2015

We recently did a round of plant counts on our East Fork projects and are excited to report that the plants are thriving!  These plants were installed to hold banks in place and catch sediment before it enters the stream, and they are doing just that. 

August 18, 2015

Thank you to everyone who made our 5th Annual Riverfest Days a huge success!  We had so much fun spending three days celebrating our river and we hope you did too. 

A very special thanks to everyone who helped with the Bitterroot River Clean Up - volunteers removed a total of 1,260 pounds of trash from the river and its banks.  Work like this would not be possible without great volunteers and supporters.  Your help makes a huge difference for our river and our community. 

August 5, 2015

Tomorrow we kick off a weekend of "Partying with a Purpose" in honor of the incredible Bitterroot River.

Join us tomorrow, August 6th, at Higherground Brewery for pint night where you can enjoy good food, beer, and company, and enter a raffle for a Flight Tour of the Bitterroots - donated by John Greef, or a Rod + Reel Combo - donated by Freestone Fly Shop.

July 31, 2015

Riverfest Days is coming up fast!

There is just enough time to cancel all other plans so that you can join the Party with a Purpose! 

We added a third day into the mix so everyone would have a chance to celebrate with us. Three chances to support our river are better than two, right?

July 23, 2015

Temperatures have been a hot button topic in the Bitterroot recently, specifically water temperatures and their effect on aquatic life.  It's been a few weeks since Fish Wildlife and Parks passed hoot owl restrictions for the Bitterroot River, and fisheries biologists with the Bitterroot National Forest and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks have actively been monitoring aquatic life's response to increased temperatures.

July 3, 2015

I am sure you have noticed the above average temperatures recently, and unfortunately the fish have too.  With the combination of low snowpack, high temperatures, and lack of spring rain the river temperatures have spurred Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to announce "hoot owl" fishing hours on the Bitterroot.  This means that fishing will close daily from 2pm until midnight.  This restriction begins today, Friday, July 3. 

June 25, 2015

With the passing of the summer solstice and 100 degree weather heading our way, we can officially say summer is here!  At BRWF that means that we are gearing up for our 5th Annual Riverfest Days.  We love being able to come together to celebrate the river as a community, and cannot wait for this two day event on August 7th and 8th.
Make sure to sign up for the 5k run/walk, and claim a stretch of river for the River Clean Up!
 

June 15, 2015

We are counting down the days until our thank you party for our 155 North members, and we are so excited to celebrate everyone's support of clean water! 

If you are not a member yet, there is still time to join the fun!  Join online here, or you can join at the door.

June 8, 2015

We are celebrating the 155 miles of our beautiful Bitterroot River, and all of the wonderful people who have donated to 155 North. 

The goal of 155 North is to raise $100 for every mile of the Bitterroot River - 85 miles of the main stem, 39 miles of the West Fork, and 31 miles of the East Fork - adding up to 155 miles of river.  We are one member shy of 100! 

June 3, 2015

Summer is right around the corner, and calendars are filling up left and right.  BRWF is very excited to splash into summer, and we hope that everyone can enjoy some clean, cold water as the days warm up!  Stay posted to hear more about what exciting events we have in store this summer!

May 6, 2015

The wildflowers are blooming, the willows are budding, and they're not the only things growing around here - BRWF is pleased to announce the addition of two great new board members!  With more dynamic members we have even more energy to spring into action for clean water.

April 29, 2015

Are you getting out to enjoy the beautiful weather? We are.

On Saturday we had a blast planting riparian vegetation along our two new projects on Rye Creek. We could not have done it without our wonderful volunteers (pictured to the left). Thank you all so much.

April 22, 2015

Happy Earth Day!  With the weather beaming it is easy to get out and celebrate.  We will be celebrating both Earth Day and Arbor Day this weekend by planting riparian shrubs along our recently completed Rye Creek projects, and we need your help!  This is also a great opportunity to see and help put the finishing touches on our bioengineered bank stabilization projects.
 

April 15, 2015

Did you see the article in the Ravalli Republic about our projects on Rye Creek?

We are very excited to wrap up these projects which span 300 feet of streambank across two properties along Rye Creek but to finish we need your help!
 

March 17, 2015

You may have heard us say that 2015 will be our biggest year yet. We weren't kidding.  In order to tackle our largest restoration projects to date and continue reaching community members with watershed education, we knew we'd need strong hands on deck.  Thankfully, we didn't have to look far to find the right fit...

BRWF is VERY excited to welcome a familiar face into a new position. Our former Big Sky Watershed Corps member, Katie Vennie, is continuing on with BRWF as our new Program/Operations Assistant!

March 10, 2015

Having sprung forward on our clocks, it's only a matter of time before the Bitter Root Water Forum can spring into our restoration projects!

Our private landowner projects along Rye Creek need a wealth of willows to stabilize the banks, and we have plans to gather more willows, but first we need to rally some more wonderful volunteers!

We are a few days away from our first volunteer day of the season, and we have a date, an activity, a location, and times - but we can't do anything without the help of some awesome volunteers!

Saturday, March 7 is our first Willow Gathering Volunteer Day!

February 25, 2015

As we tick off the days until spring, BRWF is getting ready to hit the ground running with our restoration projects in April, and we need your help!

February 4, 2015

Happy February!  Rumor has it that love is in the air this time of the year, and hopefully you think of your water resources as one of those things you love.  

Join us in celebrating our mutual love of this resource this Sunday, February 8 from 4 PM to 7 PM at Bitterroot Brewing! 

January 12.2015

It's the start of the New Year, and here at the Bitter Root Water Forum we have a new team member to introduce.  Carolyn has just joined us as this year's Big Sky Watershed Corps member.  Hailing from Northern Illinois, she is a runner, skier, climber and recent graduate in geology, and cannot wait to get to know the Bitterroot Valley and use her hydrology field experience and passion to help the BRWF in its watershed education and restoration.

December 31, 2014

If you're anything like me, you might be using the last day of the year to reflect on the past and dream about the future.  In thinking about all things BRWF, the year we're leaving behind was truly amazing and what lies ahead are some of the most exciting opportunities we've ever encountered.

December 18, 2014

We're lucky because of YOU. BRWF has such wonderful friends and supporters and we couldn't protect clean water for future generations without you. THANK YOU!

Last Tuesday we were lucky enough to see some of you out at our Annual Holiday Party and say thanks for all that you do.

December 2, 2014

Giving Tuesday is finally here!  To those of you who have already joined 155 North - THANK YOU!  We are so close to reaching our goal of 75 Members by the end of the day TODAY...
 

YOU can be one of the six people we need to hit our goal!  Click here to support clean water action in the Bitterroot by joining 155 North today.

November 26, 2014

This Thanksgiving I'm grateful for a lot of things, but I'd like to give a special thank you to one incredible program and one special person: Big Sky Watershed Corps (BSWC) and our BSWC Member, Katie.

BSWC places Members in host sites throughout the state of Montana to help groups like ours build capacity and better serve our communities.  Members come from all across the country to help with watershed health and protection, volunteer generation, and watershed education, and every year I'm blown away with the incredible work they do.

November 12, 2014

Did you know that Giving Tuesday is less than three weeks away?

What is Giving Tuesday you ask? It's a global movement dedicated to giving back.  After the madness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a chance to invest in your community. 

Help BRWF celebrate on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 by joining 155 North!

October 28, 2014

You have helped make 2014 our best year yet!  We can't thank you enough for being part of our programs and giving to BRWF to make all of these efforts possible. 

Here are a few of our proudest moments from the year so far:

• Taught over 1,000 students about watersheds...

October 9, 2014

Your support is vital to the health of local streams and to the future of watershed education. With your help BRWF can restore critical habitat, make local streams healthier, and give youth access to high quality natural resource education. 

Septemeber 22, 2014

There are many upcoming opportunities to learn more about water in the Bitterroot watershed:
 

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Meeting TONIGHT

You can join us tonight for a public informational meeting on the Bitterroot Watershed's TMDLs at 5:30 pm at the Bitterroot Valley Board of Realtors building, 224 N 4th Street, Hamilton.

September 9, 2014

Here are five reasons to volunteer with BRWF:
1. Relieve stress! Studies show that volunteering can reduce stress.
2. Connect to others
3. Benefits your health
4. Learn new skills
5. Feel great about making a difference!

Join BRWF for a volunteer day this Sunday and reap the benefits of volunteering!

August 28, 2014

With Labor Day fast approaching you might be wondering what you can do to help your community. The answer is simple: volunteer with BRWF! We've got some great opportunities coming up in the next few weeks.

August 21, 2014

We hope you were able to join us for Riverfest Days last weekend.
The event was a GREAT success with:

• 50 Runners
• 75 River Cleaners
• and Hundreds of festival goers

Great activities, excellent food and fantastic music.

August 13, 2014

You can make a difference on the river THIS Saturday. We still need volunteers for floating and walking stretches of the River Clean Up!

Maybe you and your family could float Tucker to Bell Crossing? Or maybe you'd like to head out to the West Fork?  Perhaps you'd be more comfortable walking around the Wally Crawford Fishing Access scouting for trash?  Whether you want to float or walk, we need more people like you plugged into the Clean Up!

August 5, 2014

You are invited to BRWF's Pre-Riverfest Days Pint Night event THIS Thursday from 5-8 pm at Higherground Brewing Company (518 N 1st St, Hamilton). Come out for a pint and enter our raffle to win great prizes like a rod and reel combo, camping tables, and more!
 

July 30, 2014

BRWF is gearing up for an August full of events. Don't miss out!

Thursday, August 7th: Pint Night at Higherground 4-7 pm

Come out for a pint to support Riverfest Days! Great raffle prizes: rod and reel combo, camping tables and more! Tickets will be available for sale, drawing will be at Riverfest in the 'Root.

July 14, 2014

BRWF is seeking a highly motivated summer intern for 8 weeks starting on or before July 24th. Intern will assist with the organization and implementation of Riverfest Days and other community events. Applicants must be enrolled in a Montana college or university. This is a PAID internship. For more details visit our website.
 

July 2, 2014

We ended June with a tour of local restoration projects and we're plunging into July with great opportunities to volunteer!  Read on for details.

Saturday, July 19th:
Fence Day at MPG Ranch
9:30 am-4:30 pm

We will be retrofitting wildlife friendly fence (the fence project is a collaboration between landowners to benefit wildlife)

June 24, 2014

There is still space available on our "Softer Side of Bank Stabilization" tour on Monday, June 30th. If you are curious about "soft" bank stabilization and would like to learn more about riparian areas please consider joining us.

The tour will go from 1:30 to 5:30 and

will include two sites with examples of “soft” bank stabilization projects and one stop at a healthy riparian area.

June 17, 2014

Have you wondered what the benefits are to "soft" bank stabilization? Do you have an issue with eroding banks and want to stabilize them while creating vital riparian habitat? Are you curious how "soft" stabilization is done?

Well you are in luck! BRWF is hosting the "Softer Side of Bank Stabilization" tour on Monday, June 30th. The tour will go from 1:30 to 5:30 and will include a few sites which will be explained by local professionals.

June 4, 2014

Father's day is right around the corner! Is your dad one of those people who is hard to find a gift for? Maybe he's a fly fisher or just appreciates the majesty of the Bitterroot River. Consider getting him a membership to 155 North! It is a gift that keeps on giving, as the work that can be accomplished from your support will impact the watershed for generations to come. Plus he will receive an exclusive 155 North hat!!

May 29, 2014

We got a wonderful note in the mail from a new supporter:

"Our granddaughter is growing up in the Bitterroot Valley.  We plan on spending a lot of time on the river making special memories together.  We would love to contribute $100 each to the 155 project.  Thanks for the opportunity to support such a worthy cause!"
- Cathy and Tim

May 22, 2014

Rising River

As temperatures continue to rise this week, so do water levels.  Please use extreme caution near the river and read more for updates on water levels and fishing access closures.
 

May 6, 2014

Working for "Mother" Earth this weekend.

It's Mother's Day this weekend and BRWF is thanking "Mother" Earth on Saturday by planting willows as part of Phase Two of the Doran Creek project. And we'll be thanking our volunteers with a post-workday barbecue on the ranch!

May 1, 2014

A lot happening in the world of water!

If you want to provide input on state water management, there's a meeting TONIGHT.

From the Ravalli Republic: "Ravalli County residents will have a chance to weigh in on proposed water management strategies and recommendations in the state Thursday night in Hamilton. Members of the Clark Fork River Basin Task Force will host a public meeting at the Hamilton City Hall, 223 S. Second St. on Thursday, May 1 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m"

April 23, 2014

This month our Big Sky Watershed Corps member, Katie, is leading water quality monitoring field trips engaging four 7th grade classes through out the Bitterroot Valley in water quality monitoring and various other stations relating to natural resources.

April 17, 2014

With spring in the air and the sense of growth and change that comes with it, we're launching our newly remodeled website! It was time to dust off the cobwebs and show off what BRWF is really about.

April 11, 2014

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks put an emergency rule in place today that closes the Bitterroot River near Corvallis to all floating from Woodside to Tucker Fishing Access Sites due to flow conditions that make portage around the Supply Ditch Diversion Dam very difficult.

March 26, 2014

Watershed education is flowing from the Bitter Root Water Forum! Last week BRWF hosted a training for nearly 50 local real estate professionals called "Irrigation in the West". Topics ranged from irrigation history, local practices, and ditch specific information. Thank you to everyone who participated!

March 12, 2013

This Saturday, March 15th from 12:00-3:00pm at the Murdoch's in Hamilton BRWF is partnering with MT Department of Environmental Quality, Eslinger Drilling, and Murdoch's Ranch & Home Supply for a Groundwater Awareness Week Open House!

February 19, 2014

Come out next Thursday, Feb. 27th, to the Ravalli County Museum at 6 pm to hear a lecture from BRWF board member and FWP fisheries biologist, Chris Clancy, on the effects of large scale fires on the fish populations in the Bitterroot drainage.

February 13, 2014

At Sunday's Pint Night we unveiled our new campaign to support the river - 155 North! The goal of 155 North is to raise $100 for every mile of the Bitterroot River - 85 miles of the main stem, 39 miles of the West Fork, and 31 miles of the East Fork. Each section adds up to 155 miles of river that we are fortunate enough to have running through our valley, and the Bitter Root Water Forum is working to keep it healthy.

February 4, 2014

Pint night is THIS Sunday!

February 9th from 2:00pm to 7:00pm at the Bitter Root Brewery

Family friendly

Live music from Pinegrass from 4:00 to 6:30

Silent auction: bid on our many excellent items including a Beekeeping lesson, 2 tickets to 'The Radical Reels Tour' and a beautiful print by Peggy Woods with at $50 framing gift certificate at Art Focus.

Door prizes

50/50 split the pot

January 28, 2014

Pint night is less than two weeks away!

February 9th from 2:00 to 7:00 pm at the Bitter Root Brewery

Family friendly

Live music by the local bluegrass band Pinegrass from 4:00 to 6:30

Silent auction

Door prizes

50/50 split the pot

Skwala fly competition judging at 3:30: bring your best Skwala fly--dry or nymph--and put it to the test against other local fly tiers!

January 14, 2014

Bitter Root Water Forum would like to introduce the newest member of the team, Katie, our new Big Sky Watershed Corps member. Originally from Wisconsin, she spent the last year working with the Texas Conservation Corps out of Austin, TX.

February 17, 2015

Break out your day-planners, we have some exciting events on the near horizon that you will not want to miss. 

THIS THURSDAY, Chris Clancy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, (and of BRWF board member fame), will present at the Bitterroot Trout Unlimited meeting.