Upcoming Events!
Rivers Rundown Speaker Series: Wild and Scenic Wildlife
Join Flathead Rivers Alliance on April 28 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM at Sacred Waters Brewing for a Wild & Scenic Wildlife presentation with Glacier National Park’s Mark Biel. Learn how wildlife depends on our river corridors and watersheds, and how these ecosystems are managed and protected. Free and open to all, with River Ambassador training credit available.
2026 Paddling Film Fest
Kick off paddling season at the 21st Annual Paddling Film Festival Saturday, May 2nd! Join Flathead Rivers Alliance and Montana Kayak Academy for an evening of world-class paddling films, river community, and epic raffle prizes. Proceeds support local river stewardship and youth paddling programs.
*Doors will open at 5:30 PM for refreshments and river chats in the lobby. Stop by the FRA and MKA booths to pick up merch and learn about our 2026 volunteer events and programs and grab your raffle tickets for chance to win some epic prizes! The films will start at 7:00 PM.
2026 Citizen Science- Water Quality Monitoring Training
Flathead Rivers Alliance seeks volunteers to help with water quality monitoring efforts on the North and Middle Forks of the Flathead Wild & Scenic River. We all seek a better understanding of impacts that an increase in river users, population, and changing climate trends will have on the river corridor.
Rivers Rundown Speaker Series: Flathead Fisheries
Explore the state of Flathead fisheries with MFWP Fisheries Biologist Kenny Breidinger. Learn about management, research, and what’s ahead for our rivers. Hosted by True Waters Fly Shop. Free and open to the public.
Eligible for River Ambassador training credit.
Rivers Rundown Speaker Series: Recreation 101
Join Montana Kayak Academy instructor Carter Eash for a crash course in reading and navigating rivers. Hosted by Backslope Brewing. Free and open to the public.
Counts toward River Ambassador training (Recreation ORV module).
Cartography Comes Alive: Meadow Creek Gorge
Join us for an evening on the river — through story, science, and stunning photography.
Geoffrey Gill, a lifelong river rat whose journey began on Virginia’s James River and led him from the Pacific Coast to Montana’s Crown of the Continent, shares reflections from a recent float through Meadow Creek Gorge — one of the most remote and least-traveled stretches of the Flathead Wild & Scenic corridor.
2026 Rafting for Refuse
Celebrate Glacier Guides & Montana Raft’s 29th Anniversary of R4R with trash clean up and post float event! Rafting for Refuse requires a $10 donation that will go to Leave No Trace- Center for Outdoor Ethics.
2026 River Weed Rodeo
During River Weed Rodeo private volunteers combine with commercial rafting outfitters, government organizations, non-profits and local businesses to hand pull weeds along the beautiful Middle Fork of the Flathead river corridor.
50th Anniversary Flathead Wild & Scenic River Fest
Save the Date: Flathead Wild & Scenic River Fest — 50th Anniversary Celebration
Join Flathead Rivers Alliance, American Rivers, and friends on July 10, 2026, at Marantette Park in Columbia Falls for a family-friendly community celebration honoring 50 years of the Flathead River’s Wild & Scenic designation.
More details coming soon—save the date and plan to celebrate the river with us!
2026 Flathead Waters Cleanup
Flathead Waters Cleanup is an annual Flathead Basin wide event bringing together agencies, organizations, and community members in an all-day volunteer event to clean-up trash and celebrate the region’s incredible waterways.
2026 River Safety Fair
Join Montana Kayak Academy and Flathead Rivers Alliance and friends to brush the cobwebs off your river skills this spring or learn something new about responsible recreation on and around our rivers. We’ve pulled in several river and resource specialists that will lead interactive, hands-on learning stations designed to build confidence, improve safety, and prepare you for the season ahead. This is free and open to public of all ages.
2026 Earth Day Flathead River Cleanup
Flathead Rivers Alliance and Wild Montana’s Flathead-Kootenai Chapter are teaming up to celebrate Earth Day. Join us on Saturday, April 25, 2026 to clean up several fishing access sites along the Flathead Wild & Scenic River. Pre-registration required.
Rivers Rundown Speaker Series: River History
Join Flathead Rivers Alliance for a Rivers Rundown Speaker Series event focused on river history. Hear from Jedd Sankar-Gorton and the North Fork Preservation Association about the fight to protect the North Fork Flathead River and the broader history of the drainage. April 21, 2026 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM at Jersey Boys Pizzeria. Free and open to the public.
Qualifies for River Ambassador training credit.
2026 Flathead Wild & Scenic River Volunteer Interest Meeting
Want to give back to the river that inspired the National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act? Join Flathead Rivers Alliance to learn about our volunteer programs: River Ambassador, River Recreation/Citizen Scientist, and Water Quality Monitoring. Discover how you can make a difference this summer!
Glacier Conversations: Wild and Scenic Rivers
This year, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River designation. Join Glacier National Park Conservancy for an important conversation with Sheena Pate, Executive Director of the Flathead Rivers Alliance, as we learn more about their work and partnership with Glacier National Park to safeguard the future of the Flathead River system. This is a virtual event.
2026 Backslope Brewing Community Benefit Day for Flathead Rivers Alliance
Mark your calendar for April 14th, 2026 Community Benefit Day at Backslope Brewing! Treat yourself to lunch, dinner, or just a beverage and a portion of the proceeds will go towards Flathead Rivers Alliance's upcoming community and stewardship projects and programming.
2026 Wilderness Speaker Series
Tuesday, March 10th
Speakers: Leo Rosenthal, Montana FWP, and Sheena Pate, Flathead Rivers Alliance
Topic: “The Three Forks of the Flathead — Fish, Flow, and the Future”
Join us for an engaging evening exploring the past, present, and future of the Flathead River system through the lens of fisheries science, collaboration, and conservation.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks fisheries biologist Leo Rosenthal opens the program with an overview of the Three Forks watershed, highlighting long-term trends, monitoring efforts, and what the data tells us about two of the Flathead’s iconic native trout: bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout.
Comprehensive River Management Plan Public Info Sessions *Hosted by Flathead National Forest
SAVE THE DATE: Feb. 17 & 18, 20256 6:00-8:00 PM PUBLIC INFO SESSIONS
The Forest Service - Flathead National Forest in cooperation with Glacier National Park will roll out an updated blueprint draft to the management of the 219-mile Flathead Wild & Scenic River, in 2025. The river system is currently managed by a 1980s comprehensive river management plan (CRMP).
Comprehensive River Management Plan Public Info Sessions *Hosted by Flathead National Forest
SAVE THE DATE: Feb. 17 & 18, 20256 6:00-8:00 PM PUBLIC INFO SESSIONS
The Forest Service - Flathead National Forest in cooperation with Glacier National Park will roll out an updated blueprint draft to the management of the 219-mile Flathead Wild & Scenic River, in 2025. The river system is currently managed by a 1980s comprehensive river management plan (CRMP).
2026 Wilderness Speaker Series
Tuesday, February 10th
Speaker: Rachel Schmidt, American Rivers
Topic: “Generations of Wild and Scenic Rivers”
Kick off the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act with a talk by American Rivers’ Northern Rockies Dam Removal Specialist Rachel Schmidt, discussing the history and significance of some of our favorite Wild & Scenic river systems.
Nucleus for Nonprofits- Featuring Flathead Rivers Alliance
Nucleus for Nonprofits!! For the month of February, 10% of every in-store sale of our Nucleus Coffee Blend will support Flathead Rivers Alliance. Spread the word and join us in brewing change! Let’s safeguard the future of the Flathead River system together.