The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s cold, clean waters that make up the foundation of life within the region, and power communities downstream – are changing. 

Across the region, riverscapes – the connected stream and floodplain habitat that occupy valley bottoms – have experienced widespread change because of drought, recreation pressure, and community needs. Trapping beavers, along with diverting and regulating streamflow, straightening river channels, constructing dams and levees, and unregulated grazing, have also altered rivers and their role in supporting an ecosystem that can bounce back from challenges.  

Here at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC), we are dedicated to protecting our streams, rivers, and lakes. We will help them remain cold, clean, and connected while preparing our communities for the impacts of drought, wildfire, and limited water availability.  

GYC is excited and grateful to announce that we’ve been named a recipient of the Norm Winn Memorial Conservation Grant from the Keta Legacy Fund. This generous grant will help sponsor our project to identify priority areas to install low-tech process-based stream restoration (LTPBR) structures. 

The alphabet soup known as LTPBR is one of the most economical and effective tactics for bringing a river back to its natural state. A LTPBR project consists of simple structures, usually made of wood and other natural materials, that are added to a river to mimic organic processes and functions. Through LTPBR, we’re also creating suitable habitat for beavers to return and take up the mantle of supporting the health of streams, rivers and the land next to them. This upcoming project will focus on: 

• Creating a streamlined process for quickly permitting and constructing LTPBR projects immediately after wildfires, and 

• Identifying and prioritizing watersheds for proactive restoration based on fire and weather risk factors. Testing this process through a pilot project is essential to ensure accuracy and enable quick response and implementation across the region.  

At its core, this LTPBR project aims to restore healthy ecosystem functions by reconnecting floodplains, restoring riparian vegetation, and re-establishing natural hydrological processes. 

An enormous thank you to the Keta Legacy Fund for funding this crucial work! Because of their generous grant, we are working to return degraded rivers/streams back to their natural state. 

If you’re interested in following this project, please consider joining our online community and we’ll send you updates on our waters work and more. 

—Melissa Richey, Deputy Director (Bozeman, MT)