Mandeville Creek Gets a Little More Bushy

Community members, high school and middle school students worked together to increase the amount of riparian vegetation along a section of Mandeville Creek near Bozeman High School. 

Over the course of two beautiful days towards the end of September, 110 volunteers got their hands dirty and planted, mulched, fenced, and watered 75 new trees and shrubs. Mandeville Creek is fed by stormwater runoff and irrigation return flows from Farmers Canal before it meets the East Gallatin River. It is a highly urban watercourse impacted by various pollutants. By increasing the amount of woody vegetation along the creek, urban and stormwater best management practices were used.

It was incredible to see volunteers of all ages work together to better a stream that runs straight through town. All volunteers recieved a quick education lesson on riparian corridors and the benefits of meandering streams, vegetation, and the impacts an urban stream may face.

Project partners added value and expertise. Thank you to Connor Parrish , Project Manager, at Trout Unlimited Gallatin Home Rivers Initiative for being a partner on this project. This riparian planting project was funded by Montana Watershed Coordination Council Watershed Fund, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, and the U.S. EPA. 

Species planted: Quaking aspen, chokecherry, serviceberry, snowberry, woods rose, dogwood, golden currant, and buffalo silverberry. 

This planting, along with others GWC has conducted in 2023, contribute to a broader initiative, Branch out Bozeman. Branch out Bozeman is a partnership between GWC and the City of Bozeman Forestry Division. The goal of the program is to increase Bozeman’s tree canopy and create an urban forest. 

For more information on riparian plantings, click here