Trout Unlimited's Gallatin Home River Initiative

03/18/2026

Please welcome Shay, our 2026 Big Sky Watershed Corps member! "I grew up playing in the hills and streams of Southwest Virginia, and I feel so lucky to be doing the same here in Montana! After studying water resource engineering at the University of Virginia, I moved west in search of new landscapes to explore. I’ve always felt a strong pull toward watershed conservation work, and I’m thrilled to be part of TU’s team this year. I’m excited to help protect the watersheds I love to adventure in - whether that’s on my mountain bike, rock climbing, fishing (even catching sometimes), or starting a new knitting project. Looking forward to a summer of beaver impersonation, post pounding, and standing in streams with the TU crew!" We are so lucky to have Shay working for us; she will play a critical part in our restoration and conservation work this year. If you want more info on the Big Sky Watershed Corps program, follow the link: https://www.mtcorps.org/joinmcc/individual-placement-programs/big-sky-watershed-corps.html

12/05/2025

Montana Conservation Corps crew member, Noelanie Rodriguez, was tasked with documenting her crew's experience during their field season. Her most recent post highlights the crew's time working at Dry Creek and Mandeville Creek. To read this blog post and see other experiences MCC crews had during their season, follow the link in our below. The MCC crew was hired with funding from Montana Department of Environmental Quality 319 grant program. These projects were developed with funding from / .

https://www.mtcorps.org/engage/blog/blog-home.html/article/2025/12/02/until-next-time?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcAOf2ftleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAaeL-XBVWemHWmIa88NQnLfx-pYoUDEtJgQbOG9wwNHndTMql5N_vuqmUm5MrQ_aem_U8xB3Y99mHo_gvq-ET-Wiw

We love to feature our member's experiences! Read on for first-hand stories from our field program, youth program, and individual placement program.

11/04/2025

Why is wood important for streams? These videos are the same log jams we built one year apart. Do you see the difference? This stream is lacking pools that allow trout to survive periods of low water. Adding wood to the stream can concentrate powerful spring flows creating a "scour pool" as water flows over the logs. In big streams like the Gallatin River this can be obvious because we frequently find trout holding in deep pools next to log jams. However wood is also important in tributary streams where it creates complex habitat on a smaller scale where juvenile trout can find refuge.

10/28/2025

Great work from our colleagues over the divide!

10/28/2025

As field season comes to an end, we reflect back on some of the highlights. This year we hired 5 separate Montana Conservation Corps crews to help us with various restoration projects in the Gallatin watershed. During their 8 day work hitches, they built Beaver Dam Analogs, log jams, cut down juniper trees, and planted thousands of plants. The crews are mostly made up of current or recent college grads who are getting started in their conservation careers. Besides the tangible project outcomes, its incredibly rewarding to work with these crews and get to know them. If you want to learn more about Montana Conservation Corps, including job opportunities, follow the link in our bio.

10/11/2025

Please join us in wishing Diane Bristol a happy retirement! Diane has worked with Simms Fishing Products and Revelyst for over 35 years. During that time, she not only had a successful career but also was a champion for our local fisheries, communities, veterans, and conservation. In 2020, Diane was instrumental in launching the Gallatin Home River Initiative, with Simms committing $250,000 over three years to fund a Trout Unlimited project manager in Bozeman. Without Diane and the continued support from Simms, we wouldn't be able to implement the restoration projects that we highlight on this page. If you would like to read more about Diane's career and her work with Warriors & Quiet Waters Foundation, follow the link in our bio.

A personal reflection on 35 years at Simms/Revelyst and 10 years on the WQW Board of Directors from Diane Bristol.

08/21/2025

Work with some of the best conservation folks in the Gallatin!!

We’re hiring!

Join the Gallatin Watershed Council as our Community Engagement Manager and help connect our community to the health of our rivers and streams. See the full job announcement at https://www.gallatinwatershedcouncil.org/careers

08/15/2025

What's a Beaver Dam Analog or BDA?? Check out this video taken at Mandeville Creek to learn more about why we build these structures. Interested in volunteering at Mandeville Creek? Stay tuned for opportunities later this fall! Thanks to our funders Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Simms Fishing Products, Gallatin County, and Bass Pro Shops for their contributions to this project!!

07/24/2025

Over the last couple of weeks, we built 78 log jams and beaver dam analogs in the headwaters of Camp Creek, a tributary to the Gallatin River. This project will improve water quality as well as fish and wildlife habitat along 1.6 miles of stream. However, this project will not only improve conditions within the project area! Restoring habitat in our headwater streams helps slow the flow of snow melt and rain events so that our larger trout streams continue to receive clean cold water late into the summer. This project was made possible with funding from , , and . The habitat structures were built with help from some of our amazing partners, including . This is just the first phase of the project. Next up is building fencing and planting native riparian plants. Stay tuned for more project updates!!

07/10/2025

As drought and the summer heat causes streams to dwindle, water will once again be released from Silver Lake to bolster Warm Springs Creek and the upper Clark Fork River.

07/10/2025

Healthy headwaters = healthy trout fisheries! When you think of trout water, you likely don't think of photos like these. However, the headwaters of tributaries in the Gallatin Watershed is where trout water begins. As snowpack melts, it is absorbed into the groundwater, feeding ephemeral streams that flow into perennial streams and eventually the Gallatin River. Today, many of these headwater streams have been degraded by previous land use practices, resulting in water leaving these high basins faster than they would have historically. When that happens, there is less water feeding the Gallatin River during the late summer and fall. Starting next week, we will begin restoring headwater streams in the Camp Creek watershed by installing Beaver Dam Analogs and log jams to restore natural processes that "slow the flow" of water. We will eventually install thousands of native plants to restore the riparian plant community. The results of the project will improve water quality and water quantity in Camp Creek and the Gallatin River. Funding for this work is provided by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Simms Fishing Products.