NonStop Local's Ryan Toohill takes a look at a Missoula program that helps protect rivers and the people who use them.
Missoula, Mont. — The Missoula River Ambassadors are a familiar sight for anyone who floats around the area.
The program started in 2021 and is a product of collaboration between the city and county of Missoula, the Clark Fork Coalition, FWP, ASUM Transportation and the Missoula Conservation District.
Missoula River Ambassador Coordinator McKenna Flannigan said the effort is focused on helping people learn how to enjoy the river responsibly.
“We’re not an enforcement presence. We won’t write you a citation. We want to let you know about tips that you can use to recreate responsibly, stay safe on the river and be a good steward,” Flannigan said.
One floater, Bridger Winterrowd, said his experiences with ambassadors have been positive while he got ready to float with friends.
Winterrowd recounted how his corgi was was given treats and copious amounts of pets when he first ran into some ambassadors near Jacob's Island.
“They’re great, gave me good tips on not bringing glass and wearing shoes," Winterrowd said. "They’re real great people."
The ambassadors also offer inflation stations at several access sites and other resources for common problems people face during a float, including trash.
“Alot of the litter that we find in the river, mostly cans and bottles, I think they’re unintentional. I think really what happens is people don’t have a good way to secure something to their paddleboard or the tube, they flip on a wave and their beers are in the water," said Flannigan. "So, we try to send as many people downstream as we can with these mesh trash bags that they can use to store everything that they have on their craft and pick anything up that they see along the way."
The Missoula River Ambassadors will be hosting an end-of-season fundraiser featuring river-related trivia on August 26. More information can be found on the Clark Fork Coalition's website.
Originally published on montanarightnow.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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