Gallatin Watershed Council

What Gallatin Watershed Council does

Gallatin Watershed Council (GWC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, that protects and restores the Gallatin Watershed through volunteer-driven restoration, citizen science, and multi-stakeholder water policy advocacy. The organization serves individual community members and volunteers, private landowners, local businesses, and local governments across the Lower Gallatin Watershed, Gallatin County, and the broader Gallatin Valley.

GWC's programmatic portfolio includes hands-on stream restoration and riparian planting projects (anchored by the Spring Creek Farms project, its largest at nearly 3 miles of creek), citizen science water quality monitoring via the Gallatin Stream Teams program (partnered with Gallatin Local Water Quality District), volunteer training through the River R.A.T.s (Restoration Action Team) and IAWP Busy Beavers programs (with Sacajawea Audubon Society), the Business Stewards community partnership program, the Branch Out Bozeman urban forestry initiative, and bi-annual watershed cleanups. The organization also convenes the Gallatin Water Collaborative, a 30+ stakeholder body working on the Gallatin Drought and Deluge Adaptive Management Plan (DDAMP) and influencing local development codes. Underlying technology consists of third-party tools only: ArcGIS StoryMaps for visual storytelling and LiDAR-derived hydrography data from USGS for watercourse mapping, with no proprietary technology platform disclosed.

The business model is donation- and grant-based with no commercial revenue. GWC generates funds through tax-deductible individual and business donations, partnerships with member businesses via the Business Steward program and 1% for the Planet (joined June 2023), and grants from Montana DEQ, Montana DNRC, NRCS, the Montana Watershed Coordination Council Watershed Fund, USGS, U.S. EPA, and the Bridger Foothills Fire Relief Fund. All programs, events, and educational resources are provided free of charge; the go-to-market is community-led, relying on digital outreach, earned media, partner referrals, and grassroots volunteer mobilization. The organization operates with a small staff of approximately 7 employees including an Executive Director, Restoration Director, Water Policy Manager, Project Manager/Ecologist, and Community Engagement Manager.

Name

Gallatin Watershed Council

Legal name

Gallatin Watershed Council

Website

https://gallatinwatershedcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gallatin Watershed Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Bozeman, Montana that protects and restores the Gallatin Watershed through volunteer-driven stream restoration, citizen science water quality monitoring, and multi-stakeholder water policy advocacy serving community members, landowners, businesses, and local governments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Watershed Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

Keywords

• Watershed restoration services
• Water quality monitoring
• Riparian conservation
• Citizen science programs
• Watershed stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Bozeman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501c3 charitable nonprofit (Tax ID# 13-4293305), GWC generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, businesses, and the community. Donations are tax-deductible. The organization also partners with 1% for the Planet, through which member businesses pledge to donate 1% of gross sales to environmental nonprofits.
2. Grant Funding: GWC receives grant funding from government agencies and foundations including Montana DEQ, Montana DNRC, NRCS, Montana Watershed Coordination Council Watershed Fund, USGS, U.S. EPA, and the Bridger Foothills Fire Relief Fund ($30,000 for post-fire rehabilitation).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gallatin Watershed Council (GWC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers hands-on stream and riparian restoration, citizen science water quality monitoring, volunteer training, urban forestry, and collaborative watershed planning services across the Gallatin Watershed in southwest Montana. The organization does not sell products or services; it provides conservation programs, education, and policy convening free to community members, landowners, businesses, and local governments.

Product overview

The Gallatin Watershed Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on watershed conservation, restoration, and education in the Gallatin Valley of Montana. Rather than a technology product company, GWC offers a portfolio of conservation programs and services including hands-on restoration projects (stream restoration, riparian planting, beaver mimicry), citizen science monitoring (Gallatin Stream Teams), volunteer training (River R.A.T.s, Busy Beavers), community engagement (Business Stewards program, annual cleanups), urban forestry (Branch Out Bozeman), educational signage, and collaborative policy planning (Gallatin Water Collaborative, DDAMP). These programs work together to protect and restore water quality and aquatic habitats across the Gallatin Watershed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restoration Projects

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,212 lbs of trash removed in a single spring cleanup event (2026)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 1% for the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2023GWC joined 1% for the Planet as a nonprofit partner in June 2023, gaining access to a network of businesses that pledge to donate 1% of gross sales to environmental nonprofits. This opens new funding opportunities through member businesses who choose to direct donations to GWC.
• Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators (AGAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWC partnered with AGAI on the 'Pitch in for the Ditch' initiative to learn about and help clean the irrigation ditches serving the Gallatin Valley. AGAI is also a fiscal partner of the Watercourse Mapping Working Group and a member of the Gallatin Water Collaborative. Kevin Haggerty, a board member of AGAI and Secretary of Middle Creek Ditch Company, led GWC on a ditch tour.
• Sacajawea Audubon SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWC partners with SAS on the IAWP (Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve) Busy Beavers volunteer program, the Birdathon fundraiser, wetland bike tours, and educational workshops. SAS led the multi-year effort to create the IAWP wetland preserve, with GWC providing restoration and stewardship support.
• Gallatin Local Water Quality DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWC partners with Gallatin Local Water Quality District on the Gallatin Stream Teams citizen science program for surface water quality monitoring. The District's Hydrogeologist Meggie Olson leads educational workshops on septic systems and groundwater for GWC volunteers and the public.
• Trout UnlimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWC partners with Trout Unlimited on stream restoration projects including Mandeville Creek planting and stream crossing structure assessments. Trout Unlimited Gallatin Home Rivers Initiative contributed expertise and project management to GWC's riparian restoration work.
• Montana Conservation CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontana Conservation Corps field crews work alongside GWC staff and volunteers on restoration projects. MCC crews participated in Spring Creek Farms restoration, including tree and shrub planting and beaver mimicry structure building.
• Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWC partnered with GVLT on a Wetland Bike Tour through their Discovery Walk Series, touring Story Mill Community Park and the IAWP to educate participants on wetland ecology and protection.
• Gallatin Water CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvened by GWC, the Gallatin Water Collaborative is a multi-stakeholder group of over 30 organizations including irrigators, city planners, emergency responders, scientists, conservation groups, and water managers working on water quality, availability, and drought/flood planning (DDAMP) across the watershed.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSGS leads the 3D Hydrography Program to replace the National Hydrography Dataset using LiDAR data. GWC helped convene the Watercourse Mapping Working Group, which secured $111,000 in local matching funds and an additional $130,000 cost-share from USGS to map the entire Gallatin Watershed. USGS is also a fiscal partner in the initiative.
• Gallatin Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA fiscal partner of the Watercourse Mapping Working Group and a member of the Gallatin Water Collaborative, contributing to watershed-scale planning and mapping initiatives.
• Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA fiscal partner of the Watercourse Mapping Working Group and key regulatory partner. DEQ staff discussed narrative nutrient standards implementation with 92 attendees at a Lunch and Learn hosted by the Gallatin Water Collaborative. GWC also receives DEQ grant funding for restoration projects at Spring Creek Farms and other sites.
• Gallatin CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA fiscal partner of the Watercourse Mapping Working Group and a key partner in the Gallatin DDAMP. GWC engages with Gallatin County on floodplain regulations, development codes, and growth policy through the Gallatin Water Collaborative.
• City of BozemancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA fiscal partner of the Watercourse Mapping Working Group and a key government partner. GWC engaged extensively with City of Bozeman during the two-year Unified Development Code update process through the Gallatin Water Collaborative. Also a partner in Branch Out Bozeman urban forestry program with City Forestry Division, and City Stormwater Division for the CATS Program research.
• U.S. Forest ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA fiscal partner of the Watercourse Mapping Working Group, contributing to watershed-scale data and planning initiatives.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRCS is a key funder and technical partner for GWC restoration projects including Spring Creek Farms. NRCS also initiated targeted hazardous fuels reduction in the Bridger and Bangtail mountains through a Joint Chiefs' Landscape Restoration Partnership Project grant.
• Montana State LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA fiscal partner of the Watercourse Mapping Working Group supporting the USGS 3D Hydrography Program application for the Gallatin Watershed.
• Montana Fish, Wildlife and ParksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo biologists from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks joined GWC staff to conduct baseline fish population surveys at Spring Creek Farms on a 1.3-mile stretch of Camp Creek, documenting approximately 150 fish.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Montana Conservation Corps: Field-crew-based nonprofit that partners with GWC on hands-on restoration (Spring Creek Farms planting and beaver mimicry structures). Comparable in delivering restoration outcomes through crew-based labor models across Montana watersheds.
• Gallatin Valley Land Trust: Local conservation nonprofit in Bozeman that partners with GWC on Wetland Bike Tours and Discovery Walk Series. Comparable as a community-embedded land and water conservation 501c3 in the same geography.
• Gallatin Local Water Quality District: Local special district co-administering the Gallatin Stream Teams citizen science program with GWC. Operates at the intersection of water quality monitoring and public education — directly overlapping GWC's monitoring and septic-system outreach work.
• Trout Unlimited (Gallatin Home Rivers Initiative): National coldwater conservation nonprofit with a direct local Gallatin Home Rivers Initiative that collaborates on stream restoration projects with GWC (e.g., Mandeville Creek plantings, stream crossing assessments). Same nonprofit model, same conservation outcomes, same watershed geography.
• Big Sky Watershed Corps: Montana watershed service corps program that places members with host organizations including GWC. Shares the same model of placing seasonal AmeriCorps members at watershed nonprofits to deliver local restoration and community engagement outcomes.
• Sacajawea Audubon Society: Local Audubon chapter that partners with GWC on the IAWP Busy Beavers volunteer program and the Birdathon fundraiser, with shared stewardship of the Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve. Comparable community-volunteer-driven conservation nonprofit in the same region.

Others

• Headwaters Economics: Bozeman-based research nonprofit whose flooding-susceptibility data for Gallatin County underpins GWC's DDAMP policy work. Adjacent ecosystem participant that supplies the analytical foundation for GWC's advocacy rather than directly competing for donors or volunteers.

Broad incumbents

• American Rivers: National watershed conservation nonprofit working on river protection and restoration across the U.S. Operates at much larger scale but addresses the same category of work — clean water, river restoration, and watershed policy advocacy — that GWC delivers locally.
• River Network: National nonprofit that supports and networks local watershed organizations. Comparable mission of building the capacity of community-based watershed groups, which directly maps to GWC's role as a backbone convener in the Gallatin.
• The Nature Conservancy (Montana Chapter): Large international conservation nonprofit operating a Montana program that does land and water conservation at scale in overlapping geographies. Comparable in mission and partnership posture (fiscal partner on Watercourse Mapping), though much larger and broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gallatinwatershedcouncil
• Instagraminstagram.com/gallatinwatershedcouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gallatin-watershed-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Gallatin Watershed Council