Stillwater Valley Watershed Council

09/03/2026

09/01/2026

08/28/2026

GOT NOXIOUS WEEDS and need help? It's NOT TOO LATE to tackle them this fall.

SVWC's Cooperative W**d Control Program enrollments are still open for fall enrollment until September 15!

Large Acreage (20+ Acres)
▶️50% Cost-Share up to $1,000 max.
▶️No prepayment required, just SVWC membership!

Small Acreage (20 Acres or Less)
▶️First time CWCP participants receive 100% cost-share on all herbicide, making it more easier than ever to get started.
​▶️Prepayment and SVWC membership required for all enrollees
▶️SVWC will coordinate professional applicators, so you don’t have to worry about finding your own.
▶️Group participation lowers the overall cost and increases efficiency.

Online enrollments and more info can be found at: https://www.stillwatervalleywatershed.com/cwcp.html

Contact Lindsey for more info or to be added to SVWC's mailing list--406.780.1249. See less

08/28/2026

Left alone, a few innocent-looking flowers will expand underground and completely choke out native grazing land. Don't wait until your pasture is a costly crisis—spot it, report it, and stop the damage early.

Learn more at wyow**d.org

08/11/2026

The bounty board has another name on it.

Bluew**d is crossing into new territory.

Traditionally found in Western Montana, this invasive w**d is now beginning to show up further east.

The best time to stop an outlaw is before it settles in. See it, report it. Help stop the spread.

Montana Noxious W**ds
Montana W**d Control Association

08/10/2026

🔥 Our thoughts are with the crews on the ground and the families under evacuation orders right now. Bobcat Lakes and Sand Creek fire Conditions change fast — stay updated:
🔗 fs.usda.gov/r01/beaverhead-deerlodge
🔗 inciweb.wildfire.gov

What this means for the Big Hole Watershed:

🐟The impacts don't end when the flames do. Burned slopes lose the roots that hold soil and slow runoff — so when rain or spring snowmelt hits a burn scar, ash and sediment wash straight into streams, clouding water, clogging fish gills, and smothering trout spawning gravel.

🔥Fire isn't inherently bad here — these forests evolved with it. The real damage comes when large, uncontained fires burn hot through steep terrain near our waterways.

🪏 What We're Doing About It
Water spread across a floodplain keeps soil and plants saturated — and it's hard to burn soggy ground. One way BHWC addresses this is with Beaver Dam Analog Structures (BDA’s).

🦫 BDA’s mimic beaver engineering to slow water, recharge the water table, and build the same wet, fire-resistant conditions beavers create naturally. The beavers ideally move back in and continue the work for free.

💓 If you're downstream or downwind, know that what happens on these slopes this month is something we'll be watching closely for the health of the Big Hole in the seasons ahead.

Stay engaged with our projects: bhwc.org or reach out to [email protected]
Photo credit: American Forest Foundation
Article: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/western-water-threatened-wildfire

08/10/2026

The Summer Celebration photos are UP!

A huge THANK YOU to Bud Chenault Photography for once again capturing the smiles, laughter, community spirit, and memories that made our Summer Celebration so special.

We appreciate all you do for SVWC and the incredible way you help us tell the story of our community through your photos!

Click below and check out the pictures—you might just spot yourself!

Thank you, Bud! You are truly appreciated!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JcSVnD5CG/

08/10/2026

25 Volunteers. 7 Rafts. 30 Bags of W**ds. Nearly 20 Years of River Stewardship.

The skies were hazy, but the spirits were high for this year’s Tom Kircher Memorial Stillwater River Float & W**d Pull!

This annual tradition has been bringing people together on the Stillwater River since at least 2006. And what started as a day of pulling spotted knapw**d by the ton, has grown into something much bigger.

Over the past 20 years, more than 600 volunteers have dedicated their time, energy, and countless hours to protecting the river corridor and raising awareness about spotted knapw**d and the importance of confronting Montana’s noxious w**d epidemic.

This year the dedication did not disappoint as 25 volunteers climbed into 7 rafts and filled 30 bags with all sorts of noxious w**ds and even some post flood rubbish—all while enjoying a beautiful day on the Upper Stillwater River and a little good-natured river camaraderie and water fights.

That’s nearly two decades of people showing up, getting their hands dirty, and proving that small actions add up to a big impact.

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has participated over the years—and to this year’s crew for continuing the tradition!

20 years. 600+ volunteers. Countless hours. One river worth protecting.

Here’s to keeping the tradition—and the Stillwater River—strong for many years to come!

08/07/2026

What a Night! SVWC’s Summer Celebration Was a Huge Success!

A little smoky haze and a few determined wasps weren’t enough to slow us down! Nearly 200 people came together for SVWC’s Summer Celebration last night at The Ridge, filling the evening with laughter, camaraderie, community, and an incredible spirit of giving.

From catching up with old friends to making new ones, bidding on auction yummies, sharing good food, and celebrating the work we can accomplish together, it was a night that reflected what makes the Stillwater Valley so special.

A HUGE thank you to Brian with Rick Young & Sons Auctioneersing for keeping the auction lively and fun, to R Heart Catering for providing a delicious meal, as well as Bud Chenault Photography for capturing the magic and helping make the evening such a success. We are incredibly grateful for everything you all brought to the celebration!

And we couldn't do it without our incredible supporters!

A special thanks to our Summer Celebration sponsors, whose generosity makes SVWC’s work possible. We are also appreciative of each of the amazing bakers and auction donors who contributed treats, experiences, services, and items—and to everyone who raised their paddle and supported conservation in the Stillwater Valley.

And congratulations to our Cookie Jar Auction winners! You didn't just go home with a jar full of homemade goodies—you also walked away with a surprise LIVE AUCTION item! We hope those cookies are as sweet as the generosity that made the whole evening possible.

Most of all, thank you to everyone who came, donated, volunteered, bid, sponsored, baked, hauled, set up, cleaned up, and cheered us on. Your support allows the Stillwater Valley Watershed Council to continue investing in the health of our watershed, our land, and our community.