As the population of Western Montana grows, more and more stress is being put on the very outdoor values people move here to enjoy—open vistas, wildlife and water quality. In survey after survey, water quality ranks as one of the most important values for people who live and work in Montana. Yet, few people realize the negative impact that development is having on the quality of our water.

Two major impacts of development are the removal of native vegetation and destruction of wetlands. Native plants—like cottonwoods, dogwoods, willows, serviceberry and others—stabilize banks, filter pollutants from storm runoff and septic systems, and shade water to keep it cool. When people replace these life-giving plants with lawns or non-native ornamentals, they hurt the very river system that attracted them in the first place.

Poorly sited homes can also impact water quality. New structures, roads and pavement should be set out of the floodplain and riparian area. The appropriate distance varies, depending on the location, but is most often 75 to 300 feet. Setbacks protect water quality, but they also protect homes from rising water and riverbank erosion.

Lastly, the sheer volume of pollution that makes it into storm runoff increases with population. More people means more oil, paint thinner, lawn fertilizer, etc. And that makes it more important than ever that we (A) reduce our use of chemicals and (B) properly apply and dispose of the chemicals we use.