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Increasing the Capacity to Lead the Post-Flood River Assessment Triage Team

Stillwater Valley Watershed Council

This project was funded by a Capacity Support Grant from the MWCC Watershed Fund.

Project Description

The Stillwater Valley Watershed Council (SVWC) is strengthening community resilience and healing from the June 2022 floods by establishing a River Assessment Triage Team (RATT). This team includes a geomorphologist, hydrologic engineer, local Conservation District and Natural Resource Conservation Service personnel to assess the area rivers (Stillwater, East Rosebud, Rosebud and West Rosebud) as a whole, focusing on priority reaches and landowners, landscapes and natural resources most impacted by the June disasters.

The overall goal of this project is to improve long-term recovery of the Stillwater Valley natural resources and residents, with a focus on increasing the community’s resilience in order to move beyond this disaster to begin the recovery process of the land and mental stability of impacted landowners.

Specific RATT objectives targeting watershed conservation goals are:

  • Evaluate the impacts of the June 2022 flood on major Stillwater watershed tributaries to document the character of the event and its ramifications.
  • Document impacts, described in terms of primary geomorphic processes at work, and conceptual alternatives providing flood mitigation strategies that are cost-effective and support the long-term health of the river systems and landowners involved.
  • Ease the financial burden for landowners, providing specific site reports as well as best practice recommendations for river cleanup and stream bank restoration efforts. Present permitting requirements with a summary of potential funding opportunities.

Project Outcomes and Impacts

Project in progress

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“As a small nonprofit with limited funds, attending the Montana Annual Water Resources Association Conference is not an opportunity I would have had without a professional development award. Attending this conference helped me make connections that have helped me grow the Sun River Watershed Group and provide better benefits to our community.” -Tracy Wendt, Sun River Watershed Group Executive Director
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