Flathead River Watershed Partnership

360 North Meridian Road, Kalispell, Montana 59901

Press Release
Contact: Brooke Stallings Release Date: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Office Telephone: 406.732.4378
Cellphone: 406.546.0024
Fax number: 406.732.4379
Email: brookestallings@frwp.org

WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP HELPS RESIDENTS PROTECT LOCAL WATER
RESOURCES WITHOUT HURTING THEIR WALLETS

KALISPELL, Montana, (April 25, 2014) A newly formed watershed partnership group will offer
a workshop to provide tools for protecting regional water quality and ecosystem health.
Partnering with the Flathead Conservation District and the Flathead Lakers organization,
the Flathead River Watershed Partnership (FRWP) will host a free workshop that is open to the
public. The half-day workshop will be held on Saturday, May 10, from 8 a.m. to noon at
Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell. Following the workshop, attendees will
participate in a short field trip to two project sites; those interested are encouraged to wear field
clothes and bring a lunch.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend, especially landowners, farmers, and
ranchers. Local experts will teach sustainable and practical land management practices. These
tools can help landowners save money while benefitting their land and local water resources.
Examples of the water conservation practices to be discussed include irrigation efficiency
programs, techniques such as streamside buffers for reducing soil and fertilizer runoff, and
proper and efficient fertilizer use. These tools are practical and often reduce operational costs for
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farmers and ranchers. Additionally, information will be provided to farmers about available
funding programs that incentivize the implementation of conservation practices on agricultural
lands.
Flathead Valley farmer John Barrett has taken advantage of such funding programs. A
year ago he installed equipment that injects fertilizer under the soil, which aids in the prevention
of runoff while also putting fertilizer closer to plant roots. Barrett encourages others to do the
same, saying, This new technique uses less fertilizer and gives me a greater crop. Its really
surprising. The hardest part is getting started, but already it is saving me money and making my
land more productive.
At the end of the workshop, participants will have a better understanding of local water
concerns and how local actions affect water quality. They will understand how to implement
more environmentally-friendly land management practices that better steward the Flathead River
Watershed. By taking advantage of financial assistance opportunities, citizens can help secure
water supplies for present and future generations without negatively impacting profitability.
The Flathead River Watershed Partnership is a multi-agency cooperative group that aims
to protect and improve the natural resources of the Flathead Watershed by implementing a
variety of conservation and public education projects.
For more information, call Brooke Stallings, FRWP education coordinator, at 406-732-
4378.
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The Flathead River Watershed Partnership is a non-profit organization whose mission is to
coordinate efforts to conserve and enhance the natural resources of the Flathead Watershed for
present and future generations by implementing a variety of conservation and public education
projects.