MISSOULA - A native plant project planted several varieties of riparian plants along Pattee Creek Drive in Missoula on Friday.
Big Sky Watershed Corps member Mackenzie Tenan led the project, partnering with Missoula Stormwater and several state organizations to fund the project.
Many of the volunteers were from the Montana Conservation Corps while the plants came from several local nurseries.
The main reasons for the plantings were to prevent erosion, filter the water of pollutants from passing cars, and keep lawn chemicals out of the Bitterroot River.
According to Tenan, the most difficult part of the project was convincing homeowners to agree to the project, many wanting government entities to literally 'get off my lawn'.
When homeowners mow up against the creek, that creates the most problems.
Some of the plants are beautiful and on Pattee Creek Drive they are also serving an important function — keeping all of our water clean.
More than a dozen volunteers worked hard Friday morning, putting native plants in the ground along Pattee Creek.
We've been covering this project since its inception in March and now nearly seven months later, the creek is being transformed.
"We're hoping this is a big statement piece for education outreach to these homeowners that are along here,” Tenan said.
She discovered if she put native grasses and other plants along the creek, the plants would keep harmful chemicals from flowing into the Bitterroot River.
"It will keep sediment out from the road, and overall just make the stream look like a stream,” Tenan said.
The project has been met with a mixed response.
Some neighbors are excited to have the plants in their front yards while others just want to mow their grass up to the water.
Tenan said little actions like this can make a massive difference to the rivers Montanan's love.
"If we keep the same attitude like, oh it's just a small stream of water, that's going to spread. We already have a water quality issue and that idea is going to spread to other tributaries and effect other rivers. We just need to have a different mindset."
Partners behind the project say they hope to expand the project in the near future.
