MISSOULA — River ambassadors, a recreation shuttle and “inflation stations” will help Missoula County and partners manage the flood of tubers and other water enthusiasts on the Clark Fork River this summer.
Randy Arnold, director of the county's Lands, Culture and Recreation Department, said a new three-year agreement coupled with new members will help bolster the county's efforts to enhance summer recreation along the urban stretch of the river.
Among other things, Arnold said ASUM transportation will provide a river shuttle this year while the Missoula Conservation District will provide $5,000 in funding.
“It helps us bring more messaging around natural resource elements,” Arnold said of the funding. “The river ambassadors have been doing that, but we had limited specific river health messaging. Having them as a partner in addition to the financial support will help bring new messaging and materials on how we can expand that conversation.”
The county for the past several years, has worked to address various issues at several popular river access sites, including Sha-Ron.
The county partnered with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the Montana Department of Transportation to provide off-street parking and a trail to the water, alleviating the need to park on the busy highway.
To help address traffic issues, ASUM transportation will also operate a shuttle this summer. Arnold said the schedule hasn't been nailed down.
“Last year, they were unable to get the river shuttle running and it had a real impact. Bringing it back online is great. They're fully in,” Arnold said.
Also, this year, the county will provide “inflation stations” at several popular access sites. The project is new and something of an experiment.
If successful, Arnold said it could prompt future planning.
“We'll set that up at Miltown and Sha-Ron. We'll see how much they're used before planning long-term,” Arnold said.
