Highlights of Nearly 30 Years of Yellowstone River Stewardship
For nearly 30 years, Our Montana has been dedicated to the conservation, education, and stewardship of the Yellowstone River and its watershed. As we pursue new funding opportunities, we want to highlight some of our key accomplishments that have helped protect and enhance this vital ecosystem. Our efforts have spanned access improvements, research initiatives, coalition-building, and public engagement, all aimed at ensuring the long-term health of the Yellowstone River and its surrounding lands.
Through these initiatives, Our Montana continues to uphold its mission of conserving, educating, and advocating for the Yellowstone River and its watershed. We remain committed to fostering public awareness and engagement while ensuring that future generations can appreciate and enjoy the beauty and ecological significance of this extraordinary river system.
Our Montana developed the free “Explore the Yellowstone River” app to foster a conservation-minded constituency for the Yellowstone River. This app provides vital information, including legal river access sites, fishing access points, public lands, historic sites, museums, hazard sites, and real-time river flow data. Additionally, the app offers GPS tracking, guiding users to various locations, including fishing launch sites, and connecting them to community resources.
We actively participated in the Lower Yellowstone Coalition, a legislative initiative led by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. This coalition aimed to improve access to the lower Yellowstone River. Our advocacy helped secure critical land acquisitions for conservation and public access, successfully protecting important parcels along the river.
Following the devastating floods of 1996 and 1997, we established the Yellowstone River Conservation Forum. This coalition, comprising 16 conservation-focused organizations, including American Rivers, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Audubon Montana, and The Nature Conservancy, worked with the Conservation District Council to assess the cumulative impact of channel hardening projects. Our research, supported by both state and national legislative bodies, is now preserved in the Montana archives.
Our Montana conducted a fluvial geomorphic analysis of the Yellowstone River between Billings and Laurel, the most heavily armored section of the river. The study revealed a gradual deepening of the river channel, which likely contributed to the Exxon oil spill in 2011. These findings emphasize the need for ongoing river monitoring and conservation efforts.
For years, we advocated for a new Fishing Access Site at Blue Creek near Billings. After identifying a willing landowner and securing funds from the 2011 oil spill settlement, we collaborated with the Yellowstone River Parks Association and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to develop this heavily used public access site.
Partnering with the Yellowstone Research Center at Rocky Mountain College, we conducted a study to determine the status of unclaimed islands in the Yellowstone River. The study revealed numerous state-owned islands and riparian lands, including Clarks Crossing Island, which was officially claimed due to its historical significance. This research supports recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, camping, and floating along the Lewis and Clark Trail.
We conducted four American Battlefield studies for the National Park Service, focusing on significant yet previously unexamined conflicts between the Sioux and Union Pacific Railroad surveyors in 1872 and 1873. These reports are now archived in the National Archives and libraries nationwide.
Our Montana completed an ownership and access study of lands along the Yellowstone River from Billings to Laurel. This research uncovered illegally closed public rights of way. As a direct result, one critical right of way was reopened, leading to the construction of a public parking area and improved access to the river. This project was completed in partnership with the Public Land Access Association.
We have actively engaged the community through multiple outreach efforts:
- Producing educational television programs for Community 7 TV under the “Our Montana” series.
- Presenting to civic organizations such as Rotary Club about Yellowstone River conservation.
- Organizing and supporting the “Clean Up the Yellowstone” initiative led by Rocky Mountain College. This effort has resulted in the removal of 391 tires and over 250,000 pounds of trash, including abandoned vehicles and other debris, from the riverbanks.
- Website Development: We launched a comprehensive website emphasizing the conservation of the Yellowstone River.
- Brochure Development: We researched, designed, and distributed a brochure detailing the campsites of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his journey along the Yellowstone River as part of the Lewis and Clark Trail.
