In 2018, the Gallatin River Task Force issued 24 rebates to 19 participants who upgraded a total of 46 indoor and outdoor products through Big Sky Water Conservation. In total, participants have saved enough water this year to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.
At the Gallatin River Task Force, we feel that this past year was filled with phenomenal growth. We partnered with the Custer Gallatin National Forest to complete our first large-scale restoration project in Gallatin Canyon, hired two staff members, and recruited volunteer talent to our board of directors. In case you missed the action, we present the top ten stories from 2018, according to Google Analytics. Thank you for your connection to the Task Force!
After noticing invasive species growing at Crail Ranch, Jen Mohler, Gallatin Invasive Species Alliance, brought together a team of nonprofits to build a native plant garden. The garden will educate visitors about native plants, invasive species, Water Wise principles, efficient irrigation, and so much more. The Task Force, in partnership with the Gallatin Invasive Species Alliance and Big Sky Community Organization, is working with the Big Sky Water and Sewer District and local nurseries to support this large landscaping project.
Almost ninety volunteers crowded the Big Sky Community Park to pick up trash on a rainy day. Young and old, alone and in groups, these dedicated river lovers arrived to do something special…to leave our river cleaner than they found it.
“We were simply blown away by our community,” remarked Task Force Executive Director, Kristin Gardner. “Together, we removed about half a ton of trash from the Gallatin River and streams in the Big Sky area”.
You have the power to protect the Gallatin River, now and forever.
The Gallatin River Task Force board, staff, and campaign committee are excited to announce the public phase of the Gallatin River Forever Campaign. Our goal is to raise $1.2 million for river conservation and improved access projects, education and outreach opportunities with our community, organizational stability, and water quality monitoring.
The Gallatin River Task Force will host the seventh annual Upper Gallatin River Cleanup on August 30th at 2 PM. Volunteers will pick up trash from the banks of the Gallatin River between the Yellowstone National Park boundary and the mouth of Gallatin Canyon, as well as cleaning up streams in the Big Sky area. Last year, over one hundred volunteers removed 1,000 pounds of trash from the watershed.
Echoing Montana’s “Best in the West” snowpack, Big Sky sits at 142% above average, putting drought and wildfires of last summer to the back of our minds. When things are going well, why should we think about future hazards? We aren’t experiencing a drought now, so why should we plan for it?
Over one hundred volunteers removed 1,060 pounds of trash from rivers and streams in the Big Sky area during the 2017 Upper Gallatin River Cleanup on Thursday, August 31st. New partners and a dedicated group of cleanup leaders tripled attendance from 35 volunteers the previous year to 111 volunteers in 2017.
Did you know that Big Sky water use triples in the summer? Irrigating outdoor landscapes, including lawns and gardens, causes the exponential increase in use. Here are 10 tips for a water-wise landscape.
Did you know that water use in Big Sky triples to 300 gallons per day during the summer months? Irrigating outdoor landscapes, including lawns and gardens, causes the exponential increase in use.
Advocacy & Outreach
Restoration
River Stories
Water Conservation
Water Monitoring