Clean Waters, Strong Future

Lark worked for two Tribes in Montana to develop a watershed plan following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance. The watershed plan is a comprehensive strategy to restore and protect the water quality of a watershed that spans a reservation in Montana. The plan identifies and addresses four major pollution sources: heavy metals, sedimentation, nutrients (E. coli & nitrogen), and legacy orphan oil & gas wells. 

Overall, the plan provides a structured and adaptive approach to protecting tribal water resources, addressing legacy contamination, and building capacity for future stewardship through a holistic, science-driven, and culturally grounded approach.

The plan includes detailed monitoring plans using EPA and Tribal Water Quality Standards, with sampling sites tracking changes over time. In addition, it promotes collaboration and capacity building by proposing the development of a Technical Advisory Council that would coordinate between tribal departments, the tribal college, and federal agencies, and it also identifies over $1 million in potential funding from federal and state sources to support plan implementation.

Additional Highlights