Our Story

 Big Blackfoot Riverkeeper is a licensed member of Waterkeeper Alliance,  the fastest growing grassroots environmental movement in North America,  now with nearly 190 programs worldwide. Waterkeeper Alliance is an  international water advocacy organization that fights for everyone’s  right to clean water. 

 The Big Blackfoot  Riverkeeper (BBRK) is dedicated to  the protection and preservation of one of the most beautiful rivers in America -- western Montana's Big Blackfoot River.
 

Jerry O'Connell founded the Big Blackfoot Riverkeeper and is currently  our executive director.

 The  Big Blackfoot, immortalized in A River Runs Through It, is classic Montana water. Clear, cold, and unimpeded by  dams for its entire 132 mile length, the river winds through three  canyons, past red rock cliffs and mountains, and alongside  wildflower-laden meadows and prairies. 

 We are focused on two key areas -- recreational management and environmental oversight. 

  advocacy

ad·vo·ca·cy (ad'-vuh-kuh-see)  n.
  The act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause,
    idea, or policy; active support.
 

And that's exactly what we're doing.  

The 2025 Salmonfly Project

Over the past decade, rivers throughout western U.S. showed noticeably reduced aquatic insect hatches.  The Blackfoot is no exception.  Not just our legendary salmonfly hatches, but our mayfly and caddis hatches have noticeably thinned in many reaches of the river.

BBRK has been working with The Salmonfly Project (TSP) since 2024 through financial assistance and boots on the ground.  TSP conducts research to understand where and why aquatic insects have declined, what they need to stay healthy, and how we can better protect them.