By David Tucker, communications manager So far, the banner snow year promised by a La Niña weather pattern hasn’t quite materialized. While the recent storm cycle has greatly improved conditions, this summer’s water supply has still been on my mind lately. Considering...
And what does it mean for the Gallatin River? At the Jan. 19 Big Sky County Water and Sewer District board meeting, when the topic turned to water-supply exploration on Lone Mountain, Mark Cunnane of Western Groundwater Services uttered a sentence that caught my...
On December 29th, to little fanfare and taking no credit, the Gallatin River scored a major victory when commissioners from Gallatin County voted unanimously to approve a petition for the formation of a new Gallatin Canyon water and sewer district. Now, you might be...
A Letter from the Executive Director. Twenty years ago, a small group of concerned citizens formed the Blue Water Task Force. They were worried about water quality in the Upper Gallatin River Watershed, and they wanted to learn more about the challenges before them....
The eagle is exactly where an eagle ought to be, perched high in a dying streamside pine along the Gallatin River. It’s likely perusing the breakfast menu—brown trout, whitefish, rainbow. The scene is simultaneously iconic and common place, inspiring enough for me to...
“It’s the nutrients, stupid.” That’s a paraphrase of the now-classic campaign line by James Carville, but when it comes to improving water quality in the Big Sky area, the solution is almost that simple. If we want cleaner water, we must reduce the concentration of...
Walking, biking, or driving around Big Sky this time of year, one thing always stands out: bright green Kentucky bluegrass lawns. While meadows and hillsides go from brown to browner, residential and commercial lots in the Meadow and Mountain villages and the Town...
As part of the Gallatin River Task Force’s multi-year access restoration project, construction will begin on Upper Deer Creek August 31, 2020.
As you’ve likely noticed, a wide-spread, bright green algae bloom yet again took over our backyard waterway. From the upper reaches of the Taylor Fork to downstream of Portal Creek, filamentous vegetation covered the river-bottom rocks. At first glance, the algae is...
It’s no secret that Big Sky’s water resources are fragile. Water quantity and quality are heavily dependent on a deep winter snowpack and large rain events in the spring, summer, and fall. This precipitation recharges our groundwater resources. As summer wears on and...