Planning for Clean Water
The Flathead Lakers’ approach is to encourage land and water stewardship, broaden the constituency for responsible and thoughtful land use planning and resource management, and build partnerships to more effectively address conservation priorities so that our communities can absorb growth and provide economic opportunities while maintaining our special natural heritage and quality of life for future generations.
Why Plan?
Land use planning and its many tools can help communities guide growth and development while protecting clean water and other important resources and community values. Planning is a way for communities to examine an array of land use and development choices and their consequences, determine goals, and take action to achieve those goals.
In the absence of planning, land use decisions are made haphazardly or by default, which can result in unforeseen consequences and inadvertent damage to water quality and other resources as well as economic vitality and quality of life.
Planning for growth can help put safeguards in place that will protect water quality by protecting aquifer recharge areas, wetlands, and riparian areas along streams, rivers and lakes. The Flathead Lakers encourages members and citizens to participate in local planning processes to help protect water quality.
Keep up to date on current issues facing the watershed at Flathead Watershed News, or sign up for our newsletters below.
