GWC celebrates Earth Day with volunteer willow planting!

The Gallatin Watershed Council celebrated Earth Day by safely planting 4,000 willows alongside the East Gallatin on Wednesday! With the help of a handful of wonderful community volunteers, we were able to enhance the riparian corridor and floodplain capacity of two vulnerable stream banks on a private landowner's property. We took extra precautions to help ensure that GWC and our volunteers could continue to conduct watershed restoration without compromising our community’s health and safety. Volunteers had to RSVP via email and electronically sign our COVID-19 Volunteer Precautions and Guidelines document before showing up at the property. The project's 2,200 feet of stream bank allowed us to fully abide by social distancing at all times. All volunteers were asked to wear masks and gloves and to only carpool with people they have been living with. 

We are ever so grateful to be part of such a dedicated community of watershed stewards. It's amazing what a group of volunteers and a few clippers can accomplish.

Our planting day was part of a larger restoration project on the East Gallatin to improve fish habitat, reduce sediment loading, and enhance the riparian corridor and floodplain connectivity. The project is a partnership between a local landowner, Antler & Fin Restoration and the Gallatin Watershed Council. We’ll keep you updated on the project’s progress!

Thank you to the Montana Watershed Coordination Council’s Watershed Fund and Montana Department of Environmental Quality for supporting this project.