Recently, some folks from our local Trout Unlimited office reached out in search of volunteers to help them with a cool new project in the Gallatin watershed.

It’s called an “Aquatic Organism Passage Assessment”, and instead of totally fowling up describing what that is and what its purpose is, we’ll let them do the talking!

Here is a screenshot of the current map and survey data needed.

So, ready to help out as a citizen scientist?

Here is a detailed video on how to get involved in this citizen science study using minimal equipment.

Connor has provided 4 important links to get started providing data for this vital project, which you can see below the video.

Instructions to get started:

Here are the instructions for downloading the required apps and completing the survey/data collection:

Here is how to use your phone as a clinometer:

Here is how to measure “bankfull stream width”:

This one is a little trickier, but we believe in you!

Ok, this one is a big one - Culvert Locations and Survey Status:

It’s a map, y’all!

We are always looking for ways to make giving back your time more simple.

Some of the best conservation volunteering comes when you are pairing an outdoor passion with a wildlife need.

If you are fishing the Gallatin watershed this summer, or just driving the hundreds of backroads that criss-cross it, take 10 minutes and add your data when you cross water!

A fifteen-minute walk from our offices in Manhattan has us crossing the Gallatin Watershed at least four times, over pins that need their survey info confirmed. We’ll be adding that to the daily lunch walks, and if you’re in the Gallatin Valley, you can too!

As you deal with the heat of late Montana summer, help the local ecosystem by aiding Trout Unlimited in logging this data. It’s easy, but will have an awesome impact for the local ecosystem!