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July 31, 2006
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Welcome
to the newsletter about all things water in Montana!
MONTANA WATER
NEWS will come your way via email every month with fresh news about meetings
and water topics that we hope is of interest to you. If you do not want to receive
this newsletter, please scroll down and follow the directions to unsubscribe.
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the newsletter online in the newsletter archives. |
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| Know-Your-Watershed
Program Helps Communities |
Dr. Steve Custer, talking
about ground water in Paradise Valley at O’hair’s Ranch. |
As Montana’s population grows,
the freshwater supply does not. The preservation of watersheds across the state begins with
education. The Montana Watercourse, watershed groups, and local governments have come together
to offer citizens interactive learning opportunities on local water supplies and land uses.
For the last ten years, the Know Your Watershed (KYW) program has served communities throughout
Montana by providing ranchers, other landowners, and local citizens a chance to gather in a
neutral setting to discuss and learn about water resources in their backyard.
Last month, Debbie Zarnt, Community
Outreach Coordinator from the Montana Watercourse, and Nicole McClain, Coordinator of the Upper
Yellowstone Basin Watershed Group coordinated a KYW event in the Upper Yellowstone. The 2006
Paradise Valley Weed Fair and KYW Tour shared the Dave Gamble Ranch outside Livingston on June
3rd. The day-long fair included a tour of weed management techniques as well as stream restoration
discussions and lectures on ground water resources in the Paradise Valley.
Sheep grazing on weeds at Vaughn
Johnson’s
ranch. |
Understanding what is happening
close to home can empower community members to better protect their water resources. Additionally,
creating a solid foundation for watershed stewardship involves appreciating the complexity
of the issues and the diverse perspectives of the community. For this reason, the KYW program
is specifically tailored to an area by including representatives from the diverse stakeholder
groups during the planning stages.
Zarnt believes the program “is
a good opportunity for watershed groups across the spectrum.” Whether a group is just starting
out or has been working together for a long time, the KYW program can be worthwhile. She also
points out that interest in watersheds is growing. For example, a recent Greater Gallatin Watershed
Council community focus event drew over 100 citizens.
Debbie Zarnt. |
The KYW program also helps communities
initiate their own watershed groups. Zarnt thinks that developing a grass-roots watershed group
led by local citizens helps them address local concerns and protect shared resources. If you
want more information on the KYW events and training sessions, contact Debbie Zarnt at the
Montana Watercourse at dzarnt@montana.edu, 406.994.1684, or visit the Montana Watercourse website
at http://www.mtwatercourse.org.
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Do
you have more news?
Many
Montana Water News articles are generated by the Montana Water Center’s new student
intern, Evan Tennant. Evan is studying public policy at Montana State University
with a special interest in water policy. He spends what free time he has writing
stories for this e-newsletter. Do you have some stories of interest you would like
him to feature? If so, please contact Evan at ewtennant@montana.edu. He’d like to
hear from you. |
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| Virtual
System Explorer DVD Offered by NDWC |
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The National
Drinking Water Clearinghouse (NDWC) is distributing the newest free DVD from the Montana Water Center, the Virtual System
Explorer. This training DVD simulates small water system operations and can be used in workshops
or by individuals on their computers for possible CEU credit. Users learn the basics of system
operation as well as how to recognize system deficiencies, perform a security risk assessment,
and improve the financial and management capacity of a system. To order the DVD, contact the
NDWC at (800) 624-8301, FAX at (304) 293-3161, or e-mail info@mail.nesc.wvu.edu and ask for
product number DWCDTR22. |
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| 2006
Northwest Water Policy and Law Symposium |
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Don’t miss the September 18-20,
2006 Northwest Water Policy and Law Symposium in Bozeman, Montana. For more information, go
to the meeting web site at http://water.montana.edu/policy.
There is no charge to state legislators for this important gathering. |
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| Montana
Hydrology Conference |
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The Montana Hydrology Conference
will be held this year in Helena on August 22-24, 2006. Hosted by the National Weather
Service, invited speakers include Dr. Kathleen White from the Cold Regions Research and Engineering
Lab (CRREL) in New Hampshire, Dr. Faye Hicks from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada and Carrie Olheiser from the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC).
Presentations will follow a theme of winter hydrology, with emphasis on river ice and ice jams.
Download the Invitation
and Call for Papers [156KB PDF]. Please call Gina Loss at 406-727-7671 with
further questions. |
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| Montana's
Statewide Monitoring Network |
The Montana Department of Environmental
Quality has operated a statewide fixed-station water quality monitoring network for seven years.
The USGS recently published a 5-yr water quality monitoring report for Montana's Statewide
Monitoring Network at: http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/sir2006-5046/. The report provides a broad
geographic base of water-quality information on Montana streams. For your information, the
following additional Statewide Monitoring Network reports will also be posted on the web in
the near future:
- Periphyton Report
- Macroinvertebrate Report
- Bacteria Report
- Fixed-Station Site
Summaries
- Comprehensive Report to include bed-sediment trace metal results.
Contact Randy Apfelbeck at the
Montana Department of Environmental Quality with your questions: (406) 444-2709; rapfelbeck@mt.gov.
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| Montana
Drought and Precipitation |
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The Montana Governor’s Drought
Advisory Committee has been distributing links to important drought, fires, and precipitation
information during these extra hot summer days:
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So
many meetings, so little time. Take special note of upcoming national and local water
meetings on the Events
Calendar at MONTANA WATER. |
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 River
Short Courses 2006, Nationwide, August 1 - October 20, 2006 [INFO]
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Hydro
Vision 2006, Portland, OR, July 31 - August 4, 2006
[INFO]
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12th
Annual Aquaculture Drug Approval Coordination Workshop, La Crosse, WI, August 1 - 2,
2006
[INFO]
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International
Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Queensland, Australia, August 6 - 11, 2006
[INFO]
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Montana
Hydrology Conference, Helena, August 22 - 24, 2006
[INFO]
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MWCC
E&O Committee Meeting, Helena, August 31, 2006
[INFO]
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Myxozoan
Session at ISAAH, San Francisco, CA, September 2 - 6, 2006
[INFO]
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5th
International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health, San Francisco, CA, September 2 - 6, 2006
[INFO]
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136th
Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Lake Placid, NY, September 10 - 14, 2006
[INFO]
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Annual
Montana Watershed Coordinators' Training Conference, Pray, September 11 - 13, 2006
[INFO]
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Water
in the City, Victoria, BC, September 12 - 17, 2006
[INFO]
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Managing
Drought and Water Scarcity in Vulnerable Environments, Longmont, CO, September 18 - 20, 2006
[INFO]
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Northwest
Water Policy & Law Symposium, Bozeman, September 18 - 20, 2006
[INFO]
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2006
AWRA Wetlands Restoration Dialogue, Fort Lauderdale, FL, September 18 - 20, 2006
[INFO]
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30th
Annual Public Land & Resources Law Conference, Missoula, September 25 - 27,
2006
[INFO]
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