Watershed Testing Ensures Clean Water for Libby Locals

The Kootenai River Basin touches every Libby resident in one way or another, influencing drinking water, outdoor recreation, and the local economy. Given its impact on local life, you might think a robust monitoring network would track the watershed’s health. Yet testing even just a fraction of the basin’s roughly 18,000 square miles is difficult, a task that’s only growing more important because of threats from invasive species and pollutants like selenium. One staff member with the Yaak Valley Forest Council wanted to expand water testing in the Kootenai River Basin to better track the watershed’s health. Looking for support, she reached out to LOR. LOR’s funding will help the Yaak Valley Forest Council purchase a kayak, dissolved oxygen and conductivity meters, a townet, and other testing supplies. In 2024, volunteers will use the equipment to monitor 18 locations for aquatic invasive species and another 28 sites for pollution.