A crossroads?

Montana stands at a crossroads—a place once defined by its wild beauty and abundant natural resources is now threatened by relentless, unbridled development. Hardly a week passes without headlines shouting from our newspapers, warning us about mounting threats to our natural resources. Most concerning of all is the growing risk to our lifeblood: pure, clean water. Day after day, we read of new and ongoing studies tackling chemical pollution seeping into our cherished waterways and watching, dismayed, as the levels of our lakes, streams, and aquifers continue to drop.

The Role of Scientific Study and Enforcement

As a scientist, I deeply value the careful study of environmental impacts. But let’s be honest—these impacts are no longer theoretical; they are here, at our doorsteps, demanding action. What Montana desperately needs right now is not another round of studies, but boldness and resolve from our elected officials, from our planning departments, and from our resource protection agencies like the DEQ and DNRC. The time has come to enforce the protections we already possess, with unwavering dedication. Development and population growth may be inevitable, but the slow erosion of our natural inheritance through mismanagement is not. We must refuse to let negligence define Montana’s future.

The Impact of Increased Development

The reality is stark and unavoidable: every new well punched into our aquifers is another straw draining the very veins of Montana, lowering water tables, shrinking our streams, emptying our lakes. Thousands upon thousands of new homes—especially those with sprawling lawns, doused with fertilizers and pesticides—are guaranteeing a steady flow of chemical pollution into our rivers and lakes. How much longer can we stand by and watch?

Immediate Actions to Protect Water Resources

· Stop rubber-stamping every subdivision proposal. We must insist on smarter, more sustainable densities—now.

· Ensure all development safeguards our waters by blocking sediments and chemicals before they ever reach our streams, rivers, and lakes.

· Preserve natural riparian buffers—at least 150 feet—from any disturbance. Let timber, shrubs, and grasses stand guard, filtering out contamination where it matters most.

· Deny new water wells in areas where our aquifers and water tables are at risk. Reduce development density as an act of stewardship, protecting Montana’s pure water for generations to come.

Paul Kruger of Columbia Falls is a retired Director of Environment, Safety, and Health at the Hanford, Washington Nuclear Site and retired Manager of the U.S. Dept of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington