Monitoring

Educators across the state have been monitoring water quality in a partnership with the Montana Watercourse since 1996. Most of these educators are involved in the Coalition. (See below for details). Some special monitoring projects and data are also highlighted at the bottom of the page.

Monitoring can and should be a positive experience for you and your students. As educators, you get to help students experience how water quality studies are designed and implemented. Students can transfer these skills to any scientific endeavor. Students also get their hands in on collecting scientific data. Natural extensions from this process include graphing, making inferences, writing reports and making presentations on their findings. See water monitoring correlations to Montana science content standards.
Lessons and activities for teaching water monitoring (an NC and DE site)
A few resources for monitoring
Check out the Healthy Water, Healthy People Educators Guide.
Water Summit for teachers and students

What Is the Montana Water Monitoring Coalition?

The Montana Water Monitoring Coalition is a network of teachers and citizens devoted to engaging Montana students and teachers in science learning through the study of stream ecology and monitoring.

Guiding Principles

The Coalition stresses that the intent of educators and students involved in the collection of water data is to further awareness, knowledge, skills, and participation in Montana’s aquatic environments

Coalition Goals

to provide a network by which stream ecology information can be shared across the state
to coordinate a standard set of monitoring parameters and techniques
to provide training and equipment for educational water monitoring programs state-wide
to enhance the learning of science and promote science careers
to connect a broad base of water-user interests and their viewpoints into water monitoring programs

Coalition Activities

Coalition field monitoring trainings
On-line data management
Coalition retreat and information sharing workshops
Watershed Tours
Opportunities for students to learn about natural resource management professional careers

Who is the Coalition? Who is monitoring in MT?

Organization	Region
Project Freeflow	Kalispell, Whitefish, Columbia Falls
Watershed Education Network	Missoula
Yellowstone River Watch	Billings, Miles City, Livingston
Upper Clark Fork Coalition	Butte
Bitterroot River Network	Hamilton, Corvallis
Blackfoot Challenge	Ovando, Helmville, Lincoln
Gallatin Monitors	Bozeman, Belgrade