Monitoring on the Big Hole

The Big Hole River drains 2,800 square miles of forest, agricultural, and meadow environments. Wild by nature, the Big Hole also is home to the last remaining fluvial arctic grayling population in the contiguous United States. While ranching and farming are key industries in the area, legacy mines also contribute sediment and metal impairments in the watershed. The Big Hole River Foundation monitored water quality at 8 sites along the Big Hole River in 2020, analyzing samples for nutrients and macroinvertebrates. Funding from Monitoring Montana Waters in 2021 is covering half of all laboratory analyses and helped expand monitoring by adding 2 sites to BHRF's sampling and analysis plan.

Conducting a long-term water quality monitoring program is the primary focus of the Big Hole River Foundation. Two years of research & design have gone into building a project that will allow BHRF to collect data to evaluate current conditions and share that data with state agencies. BHRF's Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) was officially approved by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in the spring of 2020.

There is a need for proactive, science-based management of this extraordinary resource. Currently, no agency is collecting regular water quality data on the Big Hole. Monitoring will provide baseline conditions against which we can evaluate impacts and the improvement or deterioration of water quality.

This fundamental, long-term data is the cornerstone on which any meaningful future work will stand. It will contribute to the conservation conversation and better inform stakeholders, allowing them to approach management decisions with clarity.

BHRF is addressing this specific data gap while collaborating with others to keep this valley “The Last, Best Place”.

The Big Hole River is the last place in the Lower 48 of the United States where a stream-dwelling Arctic grayling population can be found. Lake grayling are relatively common in the region, but the Big Hole's undammed, wild nature helps support this unique, rare fish.

 Stewardship Fencing 

 Native Species Restoration 

 Education 

 Full Description of Water Quality Monitoring 

 News & Events 

 History of BHRF & the Big Hole 

To learn more about the BHRF or MMW, click the caption below each organization's logo.