50 Down, Forever to Go! Flathead Wild & Scenic River Fest Earns Local and National Recognition

More than 1,000 friends, neighbors, and community members showed up in force for our July 10th Flathead Wild & Scenic River Fest, and we couldn’t have been happier to party with everyone! Your passion for our rivers has never been more on display, and an unforgettable evening of grooves from headline band Boot Juice amplified the evening even more!

*Snapshots from the dance floor at 2026 Flathead Wild and Scenic River Fest - Photo by Aaron Agosto*

We have received an overwhelming amount of support following this event. We are so grateful to the volunteers who came out to give their time and energy making this a reality and to all the partner educators who showcased the incredible networks of passionate folks who make our river community what it is.

*Boot Juice performs at 2026 Flathead Wild and Scenic River Fest - Photo by Aaron Agosto*

Aside from dancing the night away alongside so many of you, some of our key highlights were two different occasions for formal recognition of the impact and importance of the Wild and Scenic Three Forks of the Flathead and some of the players who have shaped our rivers, both locally and nationally:

“I... encourage all residents and visitors to recognize the importance of the Flathead River system, celebrate its remarkable history, and recommit themselves to preserving these clean, cold, clear, and free-flowing waters for future generations”

— Don Barnhart, Mayor of Columbia Falls, MT

The first was Mayor Don Barnhart’s proclamation to start off the party, declaring July 10, 2026 as Flathead River Celebration Day! The Flathead River system’s Wild and Scenic status places us in the less than 1% of rivers in the US protected and honored by this designation, and our federal recognition provides a huge leg up for protecting and conserving our rivers. The kind of local recognition that Mayor Barnhard offered the Flathead River system, is key to developing the local support and partnerships to manage our rivers collaboratively and inclusively.

See the Mayor Barnhart's full proclamation here!

The second was a surprise even to Flathead Rivers Alliance staff! The River Management Society, a national non-profit organization whose mission is “to support professionals who study, protect and manage North America’s rivers,” used the event as an opportunity to honor two members for their contributions to river management.

RMS award recipients and society members at 2026 River FestFrom left to right: David Cernicek (Bridger-Teton National Forest), Cannon Colgrove (MTFWP), Sheena Pate (FRA), Lisa Ronald (American Rivers), Geoffrey Gill (FRA) - Photo by Aaron Agosto — RMS award recipients and Society members at 2026 River Fest. From left to right: David Cernicek (Bridger-Teton National Forest), Cannon Colgrove (MTFWP), Sheena Pate (FRA), Lisa Ronald (American Rivers), Geoffrey Gill (FRA) - Photo by Aaron Agosto

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Recreation Coordinator Cannon Colgrove, who calls the Smith River his home waterway, received this year’s “Outstanding Contributions to the River Management Society” award for his leadership in the River Management Society’s Northwest Chapter over the past three years.

FRA’s own Executive Director, Sheena Pate, was honored as this year’s “River Manager of the Year” for her years of tireless work leading Flathead Rivers Alliance and Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council and assisting Montana Watershed Education Network, protecting our waterways from every available approach.

For more on RMS and their vital work, visit their website!

Managing a river, even one protected by Wild and Scenic or State Recreational Waterway designations like the Flathead or the Smith, is an endless pursuit. Balancing the needs of the river itself with the needs of recreators, tribal groups, land management agencies, landowners, industries and feel li can be a jigsaw puzzle that just keeps growing because of the ways that our rivers connect us all.

At Flathead Rivers Alliance, we believe that whatever is worth celebrating is also worth putting your time and energy into supporting. We’re grateful to everyone in our community for letting us spend some time during this 50th anniversary season for the Flathead Wild and Scenic River system doing both at the same time — burning one down with our river family while also showcasing all the hard work and effort that it takes to keep the three forks clean, cold, clear, free flowing, and protected.