Flathead Lakers honor work of UM's Bio Station

The Flathead Lakers chose to honor the University of Montana Flathead Lake Biological Station with its 2018 Stewardship Award, presented at the Lakers’ annual meeting celebrating the organization’s 60th anniversary.

The award recognized the Bio Station’s continuous dedicated contributions to the protection of Flathead Lake and its watershed.

“We have a lot to be proud of here, said Bio Station Director Jim Elser. “This is a really big honor and reflects the dedication, hard work and commitment of so many at FLBS.”

Founded in 1899, the Bio Station has consistently studied and identified any existing and potential threats to the quality and health of the watershed since 1977 through its rigorous monitoring program.

More recently, the station has emerged as a leader in the fight against the threat of aquatic invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels, spearheading local programs and studies that could help prevent an invasion of the Flathead’s pristine waters.

Elser attributed much of the station’s success, especially in establishing and maintaining the Flathead Monitoring Program, to current staff and students and past leadership by former Director Jack Stanford and longtime research professor Bonnie Ellis.

Research conducted at the bio station has driven and informed major decisions made toward the conservation of water quality in the region, including the ban of phosphorus-containing detergents and preventions of mining in the upper North Fork Flathead River.

Decades of work at the station have also resulted in other scientific discoveries and inventions that will impact the future of a variety of fields of study, including DNA detection and lake ecology.

“We are very fortunate to have this exceptional research and education institution and its talented and collegial scientists and staff right here on Flathead Lake,” said Flathead Lakers President Steve Rosso.

The Flathead Lakers is a nonprofit organization comprised of Flathead-area residents dedicated to keeping the lake and local ecosystems clean and healthy while ensuring a sustainable quality of life in the watershed.

It efforts to support and protect the region’s waters include advocacy, education and stewardship programs.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.