Give Back to the Yellowstone

The Yellowstone River is a national treasure.

It flows from its headwaters near Yellowstone National Park through Montana’s Paradise Valley, before cutting east across the state to eventually empty into the Mississippi watershed. The upper stretches of the river are undammed; the Yellowstone is the longest free-flowing river in the lower 48, bears deep cultural importance to dozens of tribes, and is home to some of the best trout fishing in the country.

In June 2022, a record-breaking flood hit the river and its tributaries. The river’s silty waters nearly breached a levee less than a mile from our office. For years, the river’s been under threat from development and subdivision, streambank hardening, overallocation of water, invasive species, an influx of recreational use, and a changing climate. The flood made this confluence of impacts acutely visible right here, in our backyard.

Our Approach

Our work along the Yellowstone has two main goals; to improve habitat and help ecosystems thrive, and to enhance the resilience of communities and people living near the river. Our goals are ambitious, and to reach them we’re putting into practice three approaches:

Watershed Restoration Projects

Identify and implement impactful, on-the-ground restoration projects.

Flood and Drought Mitigation

Mitigate the impacts of flood and drought on communities and infrastructure.

Education and Outreach

Engage with and educate communities that depend on the river.

Donate Now

To support Montana Freshwater Partners’ efforts to preserve, restore and enhance the Yellowstone River, considering donating to the Give Back Program today!

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Featured Projects

Flathead Creek Restoration Project

We are partnering with a private landowner to restore 2 miles of Flathead Creek, a tributary to the Shields River and important habitat for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Our restoration treatments will increase floodplain connectivity, reduce fine sediment inputs, and improve the health of the riparian area.

Project Prioritization Plan

We spearheaded a grassroots effort to identify on-the-ground restoration, planning, and education projects in the Upper Yellowstone watershed. Our efforts, in collaboration with local landowners, watershed groups, and community leaders, identified and ranked over 50 projects that could enhance water quality, preserve fish habitat, ensure consistent water flows, enhance floodplains, and promote the river’s natural function.

Yellowstone River Planting Projects

In spring 2024, we organized two projects to restore native riparian vegetation on flood affected properties. Twenty five volunteers contributed over 230 hours to collect willows from local riparian areas and plant them along the banks of the Yellowstone.

Channel Migration Remapping Project

In the initial stages of recovery, we collaborated with the City of Livingston and Park County, and met with local landowners to navigate flood impacts in ways that benefit both livelihoods and the river’s ecology. We promoted education on flood and erosion risks, along with best practices for flood resilience. Now, we’re updating channel migration mapping for the Yellowstone River to help landowners and planners understand where the river is likely to move in the future. With these detailed maps, communities can avoid developing in areas prone to erosion and other flooding impacts.

Yellowstone Safe Passages

More than a million tourists drive Highway 89 through Paradise Valley to Yellowstone National Park every year. This road is also vital for local work and recreation but is notoriously dangerous due to large mammals like elk and deer causing about half of the car accidents. Yellowstone Safe Passages, a community-led group, is dedicated to reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions. As members of this initiative, we worked with partner organizations on a comprehensive assessment, specifically inventorying all streams passing under the road. Our recommendations for crossing projects aim to benefit both aquatic species and large mammals, while enhancing human safety for the millions who use the roadway.

Yellowstone River Cleanup

Every year we work with Trout Unlimited and other local partners to organize a community river cleanup.

Signage Project

We’re working to install interpretive signs at river access points in Paradise Valley and Livingston. With increasing tourism and use of the river, this will help our local community—and visitors from across the country and the world drawn to this spectacular place—learn about natural river processes, river recreation etiquette, flood risks, and our thriving river-based habitats, home to species from toads to grizzly bears.

Our Partners

Joe Brooks Chapter of Trout Unlimited

How to Get Involved?

Donate

Your generosity makes a big difference for Montana’s rivers, streams and wetlands.

Donate Now

Volunteer

Join us to help restore our precious aquatic resources!
Volunteer

Corporate Sponsorship

Show your support of Montana’s rivers, streams and wetlands.

Sponsor Us

Restoration and Community Engagement Achievements

restoration, planning, and outreach projects identified

tons of debris removed from the river

miles of river/tributaries enhanced/restored

volunteers participated in restoration efforts

Life in the Land

The dynamics facing Park County’s Paradise Valley are unique. In this film, discover the challenges facing the Upper Yellowstone through the perspectives of a local rancher, a business owner, an educator, and our Executive Director, Wendy Weaver.

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