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By the Pricking of My Thumbs:
FLBS Visiting Researcher on the Front Lines of a Monster Plastic Problem


Small fragments of blue plastic were found during the biannual FLBS Highway 35 cleanup in October. Left in the environment, these fragments will continue to break down into increasingly smaller pieces until they become microplastics.
They’re in our oceans and rivers. They’re in the food we eat and the water we drink. Recently, a team of Austrian scientists discovered that they’ve even found their way inside our stomachs. They’re called microplastics—particles of plastic so small they can’t be seen by the naked eye—and there's no telling where they'll turn up next.

But have they made their way into our beloved Flathead Lake? That’s precisely what FLBS visiting researcher Xiong Xiong is here to find out.  
Xiong came to FLBS from China, where he is an expert in testing freshwater lakes for the presence of microplastics in the Tibetan Plateau. He found that, though the Tibetan lakes were far less populated than other areas in China, the water still contained microplastics at concentrations high enough to cause concern. It was this realization that ultimately drew him here, where he'll spend the year determining if the moderately populated Flathead Valley has an equally disturbing truth lurking beneath the surface of its lake. 
An assortment of plastic found on Flathead Lake shoreline and collected by FLBS Education Coordinator Holly Church in May 2018 (pictured above left) has the potential to break down and leach tiny plastic fibers and particles (pictured above right) into Flathead Lake. 
In a piece assembled over the summer, FLBS Journalism Intern Heather Fraley dives headfirst into the microplastics problem in Montana and around the world, leaving us to wonder if, like Frankenstein, the greatest monster we might ever face will be of our own design. 

READ 'How Clean is Flathead Lake Really? Visiting Researcher looks for Plastic Pollution in Flathead Lake' by Heather Fraley 


Double, Double Toil and Trouble:
Science on Tap - Tuesday, November 6


Join us for Science on Tap!
 
Tuesday, November 6

University of Montana Fire Ecologist Dr. Philip Higuera will discuss forest and fire ecology in the context of a changing environment. 
 
Doors to the Imperial Room will open at 5:45 p.m.
Presentation will begin at 6 p.m.

REMINDER: Those interested in a guaranteed seat at Science on Tap can now purchase a $5 tax deductible donation ticket. Each ticket will reserve a seat in the Imperial Room of the Flathead Lake Brewing Co., and the donation will be shared between the Flathead Lakers and FLBS. 

Hurry! Seats are filling up fast!
Reserve your tickets for the next Science on Tap event today

Who Ya Gonna Call?:
FLBS Takes Out the Trash


It was a dark and stormy afternoon…but that didn’t stop our scientists and staff from hitting the road and taking out the trash! Sure, it might not sound like the best way to spend a Friday. But for our money, it was well worth the effort. The area's combination of high winds, heavy precipitation, and steep terrain make it all too easy for road-side garbage to find its way into Flathead Lake, where it can have devastating impacts on lake quality and ecology. 

In a little over an hour, we harvested more than a dozen bags of garbage from the sides of the road, and as soon as the snow melts next spring we'll be at it again. We take great pride in ensuring our two-mile adopted stretch of Highway 35 remains as litter-free as possible for the sanctity of our incredible lake! 

FLBS in the News


"East Kootenay Waterway under the Microscope: Wildsight, Sierra Club BC, Headwaters Montana and University of Montana launch water sampling program"

Castlegar News (Canada)
Article/Photos: Kimberley Vlasic

Head far enough north on Highway 93 in Montana and you’ll come to the U.S.-Canada border. There, you’ll find a checkpoint that among other things restricts the transport of harmful substances from one country’s ecosystem to the other. Unfortunately, such a filter doesn’t exist in freshwater systems, meaning the metals and nutrients of a coal mining operation in southern Canada could slip into Lake Koocanusa ecosystem outside of Libby. For this reason, FLBS ecologist Erin Sexton has joined forces with researchers from Canada and Headwaters Montana to monitor the transboundary waterway between British Columbia and Montana. A major part of their effort is to ensure that Canadian coal mining adheres to environmental standards—which, according to preliminary data, one company is not. READ MORE

"Salute to Service: Flathead Lake Biological Station Recognized for AIS Monitoring Efforts"

KPAX/MTN News 
Article: Nicole Miller

We were honored to receive a Salute to Service from KPAX/MTN News earlier this month, and were equally excited to announce that our monitoring program was awarded enough funding from the Montana DNRC to complete another three rounds of sampling on Flathead. We're incredibly fortunate to be able to partner with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to do all we can to keep Flathead and its watershed mussel-free. READ MORE

"Flathead Lake an Example of Effective Phosphorus Monitoring and Lake Protection"


The Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University advances research, education and business practices for a rapidly urbanizing world. Its School of Sustainability is the first of its kind in the U.S., and has been named the top innovative school by U.S. News & World Report. It has become a world leader in advancing sustainability efforts all across the globe, and recently, it took notice of FLBS. READ MORE

Winding Down: A Forecast of Flathead Lake Levels from Energy Keepers, Inc.


A Monthly Report of
Se̓liš Ksanka Ql̓ispe̓ Hydroelectric Project Operations
and Flathead Lake Levels

October 20, 2018


The current elevation of Flathead Lake is 2891.8’.
The lake elevation will continue to decline slowly and steadily over the coming weeks to reach approximately 2891.0’ by the end of the month.
Current inflows are 4,084 (cfs) and current outflows are 6,000 (cfs).
September was dry with only about 50% of normal stream flow volume on the Flathead.
Stream flows are forecasted to remain low in October.
 
The following is a table comparing EKI’s current outlook for outflow in cubic feet per second (cfs) and end of month elevations (ft.) Actual flows and elevations may differ. 
EKI is a Tribally-owned corporation with which CSKT has delegated the authority and responsibility to manage, operate and maintain the Se̓liš Ksanka Ql̓ispe̓ Project.  

Further questions and comments can be directed to:

Mariah Friedlander
Power Analyst, Energy Keepers Inc.
information@energykeepersinc.com

FLBS Moment: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Lindisfarne, MT on Flathead Lake 
7:38 pm - October 10, 2018


Lake Maps
Our lake maps of Flathead, Whitefish and Swan Lakes continue to be very popular and continue to generate funding for our monitoring of those lakes. Get yours today! 
 Learn more
Flathead Lake on My Mind
Long-time Flathead residents Steve Smith and Wayne Schile compiled a wonderful array of Flathead Lake history and stories in this book. Wayne and Steve have been kindly donating a portion of the proceeds from this book to both the Flathead Lakers and the Bio Station. Available at the Bio Station or online.
Purchase Yours Today
Support Flathead Lake with Custom Plates
Learn more
THINK BIG. BE BOLD. GIVE TODAY.
More information about FLBS can be found online at
flbs.umt.edu
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Flathead Lake Biological Station
32125 Bio Station Lane
Polson, MT 59860

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Flathead Lake Biological Station · 32125 Bio Station Lane · Polson, MT 59860 · USA

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