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UMW’s “On the Rocks” Series Presents “Building Resiliency in the Jefferson River Basin” 

January 12, 2024

The University of Montana Western Environmental Sciences Department is proud to present “Building Resiliency in the Jefferson River Basin” by Chris Edgington as part of the “On the Rocks” lecture series. The presentation will take place Wednesday, January 17, at 3:45 p.m. in UMW’s Block Hall room 311.

Chris Edgington discussing beaver mimicry structures he installed on a tributary to the Upper Clark Fork near Deer Lodge with Montana Western students. Photo provided by Dr. Rob Thomas.

Edgington grew up in the flatlands of Nebraska, where his pursuit of fish started at a young age, eventually chasing bass and bluegill with a fly rod. He found his way to Missoula, Montana in 2002 after pursuing a degree in Wildlife Biology-Fisheries Management at the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL). While at UNL, Edgington began cooking to put himself through school, developing a deep passion for local food and community built around the dinner table. He spent several years as a chef bouncing around Montana, learning the rivers of western and southwest Montana. Edgington reignited his passion for conservation at the University of Montana Western, graduating in 2017 with a degree in Environmental Science-Wetlands Management. After graduation, he worked as a fisheries technician with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and as a hydro-tech with the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. 

In 2019, Edgington was hired by Montana Trout Unlimited (MTU) as their Jefferson Watershed Project Manager. He will share a snapshot of MTU’s work in the Jefferson Basin, including a drought management plan case study, and two projects that will add quantifiable, coldwater to the flow-limited Jefferson River.

This presentation is free and open to public. For more information, please contact UMW Associate Professor of Environmental Sustainability, Dr. Arica Crootof: [email protected] or 406-683-7075.