Flathead Lakers Water Quality Sampling Program
As a Big Sky Watershed Corp member working for the Flathead Lakers and the Flathead Lake Biological Station this past summer, I had the opportunity to perform E. coli water quality sampling around the lake. This involved going out once a week from June 30 through September 1 and collecting water samples from popular public access and swimming sites. Not being from Montana, this experience was a great opportunity for me to explore the area around Flathead Lake and see the lake from so many different, beautiful angles. Additionally, I had the opportunity to speak with both locals and visitors about Flathead Lake and the importance of water quality monitoring. Many of the locals liked sharing personal stories about growing up on the lake, while many of the visitors liked sharing about their love for the lake and what keeps them coming back every summer. Most importantly, they all expressed concern for the cleanliness of Flathead Lake and the protection of their favorite swim spots.
The Flathead Lakers are dedicated to water quality monitoring and have run active programs to collect and analyze water quality samples since 2018. They’ve been continuously conducting annual E. coli sampling for eight years in collaboration with the Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS). Water quality sampling has been at the forefront of the Lakers’ mission — and for good reason! Having consistent and continuous data sets is essential for tracking trends, identifying any irregularities that may occur, and supporting general research purposes. Additionally, continuous data can help protect the pristine quality of Flathead Lake as well as the health of all those who enjoy it.
Our water quality monitoring programs rely on clear, numeric standards for water quality set by federal and state agencies. The state of Montana is currently attempting to rewrite the standards that groups like the Flathead Lakers and the Flathead Lake Biological Station use to measure water quality across the state by switching to subjective, narrative standards. The Flathead Lakers and other watershed protection groups are fighting to protect objective, measurable numeric standards for water quality, and we invite you to join us. Alongside our partners, we will be asking the U.S. EPA to enforce provisions of the U.S. Clean Water Act that require states to establish and utilize numeric nutrient standards for measuring water quality. This is a challenging process, but we believe that with enough support from people who care about water quality and the watershed we call home, we can successfully urge Montana DEQ to continue using numeric standards when measuring water quality.
Kaitlyn Webb
Flathead Lakers Big Sky Watershed Corps Member 2025