Organizers of the annual Flathead Waters Cleanup are looking for volunteers to help clean up trash on Aug. 12 in and around the rivers, lakes, creeks, and ponds of the Flathead watershed in Flathead and Lake counties.
“Volunteering for the Flathead Waters Cleanup is just one way we can be good stewards of our Montana waterways,” said Emilie Henry, program coordinator of the newly established Western Montana Conservation Commission and cleanup organizer.
The cleanup runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and individuals or teams of volunteers can select their favorite area to clean up through an interactive mapping feature on the event website and can enter to win various prizes from the event sponsors. The cleanup concludes with two concurrent afterparties and giveaways hosted at Sacred Waters Brewing in Kalispell and Glacier Brewing in Polson from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Prizes include rafting trips, kayak rentals, camping gear, flyfishing gear, and other swag items that will be awarded to the volunteers that collect the most trash, find the most unique item, or submit the best photo.
At last year’s event, volunteers collected 5,100 pounds of trash from Flathead waterways and event organizers hope to top that number this year.
“Trash and other debris in any waterway are harmful to aquatic ecosystems and can keep us from enjoying our favorite places,” Henry said. “We need everyone to do their part to protect the water resources of western Montana and beyond year-round, not just during the cleanup.”
The cleanup is co-hosted by the Western Montana Conservation Commission, Flathead Conservation District, Flathead Rivers Alliance, Flathead Lakers, Lake County Conservation District, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
Volunteers are asked to register prior to the event on the event website or by contacting Emilie Henry by phone at (406) 461-6831 or by email at [email protected].