She’s a steward of the Rivers

Sheena Pate is a busy woman. She has more than 200 miles of Wild and Scenic River to think about everyday.

Pate is the executive director of the Flathead Rivers Alliance, a nonprofit formed in 2019 to promote and enhance conservation and stewardship of the three forks of the Flathead River as it sees growing use by both individual and commercial users.

Pate began her service with the Alliance in 2021 as a contracted watershed coordinator, jumpstarting the organization’s flagship River Ambassador Program, one of only two in the state of Montana at that time. In 2022, she led efforts that resulted in 111 stream miles improved, 240-plus volunteers, 800-plus volunteer hours, four programs, seven projects, five events. 

As the rafting and fishing seasonis now in full-tilt, Pate is busier than ever. She recently garnered 6,000 clean-up bags that ambassadors will hand to floaters so they can put beverage cans and other trash in them, rather than in the rivers.

The ambassadors are trained volunteers stationed at popular launch sites along the three forks of the Flathead. They give people friendly advice and help monitor river usage. Some also float the rivers on a regular basis as well. The monitoring is of help to the Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park as the agencies work on a new Comprehensive River Management Plan.

In addition to ambassadors, Pate is also working with volunteers to create a citizen science program to gather baseline water quality and other data on the rivers using the Survey 123 app. The app, for anyone who has done citizens science for, say, Glacier National Park or other agencies, is well known and works pretty well on a cell phone.

The Alliance is also organizing an upcoming river cleanup and continues an annual weed-pulling rodeo — both have been longtime events organized by outfitters and land agencies in the past.

Right now Pate said the Alliance has about 30 volunteer ambassadors, but could always use more.

She could especially use more citizen science volunteers, to survey flora and fauna as well as water quality of the rivers. Anecdotally, folks are claiming they’re seeing less wildlife, she noted.

“We don’t have the data to back that up,” she said.

This effort would try to quantify that.

The Alliance has also reached out to area schools under her leadership, working with West Glacier students on stream ecology and high school students as well.

The Alliance is also looking to keep people safe while they float area rivers with a lifejacket borrowing program.

“We had 80 lifejackets signed out (last year),” she said., All but a couple were returned on an honor system.

“We don’t shame people,” she said. “We’re very pro lifejacket. We’d like to get more.”

Pate works closely with the Flathead National Forest, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Park Service. It’s a challenging, but rewarding job.

Pate’s connection to rivers goes back to her youth — she grew up on the Guadalupe River. She loves being on the water with her children. She owns a raft and a drift boat and her son at the tender age of 8 is already an expert fly caster — he started fishing at age 2.

Pate holds degrees from University of Montana- Environmental Studies and Colorado State University- Watershed Science and credits the opportunity to work with Montana Watershed Education Network in 2006 as the catalyst for her career path.

She has enjoyed over 15 years as a hydrologist, communication specialist and project coordinator for various agencies, nonprofits and river restoration engineering firms, in Montana and Colorado. Before joining the Alliance, she led the Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council for 7-1/2 years focusing on transboundary partnerships that moved forward initiatives to enhance and sustain the geographical character of place with which communities and economies benefit. 

Folks interested in volunteering can learn more at the Alliance website at: flatheadrivers.org or by emailing Pate directly at: info@flatheadrivers.org