This project was funded by a Capacity Support Grant from the MWCC Watershed Fund.
WHO & WHERE
Gallatin Watershed Council in Bozeman, MT—guiding collaborative stewardship of the Greater Gallatin Watershed through partnerships, community education, and on-the-ground restoration.
BEFORE THE FUNDS
The US Forest Service’s Hyalite-Cottonwood Fuels Reduction project lacked dedicated capacity to survey and map aquatic sites—wet meadows, riparian corridors, beaver dam complexes, and wetlands—that could serve as natural firebreaks and bolster watershed health.
WITH THE FUNDING
Funds will staff GWC (in partnership with Trout Unlimited) to plan and conduct a field inventory across the 7,906-acre fireshed, map potential restoration areas and deliver a comprehensive report and spatial database. This roadmap enables the USFS and Bozeman Fireshed Collaborative to integrate aquatic restoration into scoping, permitting, and implementation stages.
KEY BENEFITS
- Water supply resilience – protecting Bozeman’s primary water source by restoring meadows and riparian zones to slow flow, reduce nutrient loads, and improve water quality.
- Wildfire mitigation – enhancing natural aquatic firebreaks to reduce fuels, strengthen fire safety, and increase overall landscape resilience.
- Ecosystem health – reestablishing wetlands and beaver habitats to boost biodiversity, improve habitat connectivity, and support long-term watershed function.
PROJECT OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS
Project in progress