You could call Constanza von der Pahlen a water warrior for her tireless efforts to improve and conserve western Montana’s priceless waterways. But the Watershed and Wetland Stewardship Award she’ll receive Thursday also makes the point.

The award will be presented to von der Pahlen, the Gallatin Water Collaborative and the Montana Beaver Working Group by Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras during a ceremony in Helena March 13. According to Aaron Clausen, board chair of the Montana Watershed Coordination Council, the award honors those who “are making a real difference on the ground in Montana and have demonstrated long-standing commitments to improve the health of Montana’s watersheds and wetlands.”

For von der Pahlen, that commitment dates back nearly 25 years, when she arrived in Polson in October 2000 to lead the Critical Lands Project for the Flathead Lakers. At the time, she says the project was a new initiative, launched by the Lakers “to take a proactive approach to address threats to water quality in the Flathead basin.”

Her assignment was to foster collaboration between federal, state, tribal and local agencies, as well as conservation groups and landowners; identify, protect, and restore lands vital to the health of Flathead Lake and its tributaries; and raise public awareness about the importance of conservation.

The Lakers offered a sturdy platform to grow the initiative, under the leadership of then director Robin Steinkraus. They began to offer workshops, review research and meet with experts, even as board members sought to fundraise and build support.

Von der Pahlen’s commitment to the initiative was rooted in her passion for the natural world. Before arriving in Montana, she earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Wheaton College, a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from Yale, and had worked as a consultant for the Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts.

“I was interested in finding ways that encourage humans to live more sustainably and in harmony with nature,” she said.

Northwest Montana was a good fit. “It seemed like a perfect place to put this into practice, not only because we are surrounded by wildlands and protected areas, but because so many of the people who live here already have a huge affinity for the outdoors and nature,” she said.

Her focus on watershed protection emerged from her understanding that wetlands, riparian area and floodplains “play a crucial role in filtering water as it moves downstream” by absorbing excess nutrients and pollutants.

And beyond that crucial role, they also offer habitat for wildlife, opportunities for recreation, and crucial groundwater recharge, “which is especially important for farmers and landowners along the Flathead River.”

Picking up partners, such as Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, local land trusts and Audubon, the Lakers sought to preserve ecosystems “to ensure they remain intact for future generations.”

The Flathead River to Lake Initiative was launched in 2023, to help preserve critical riparian and wetlands along the Flathead River and north shore of Flathead Lake that were facing increasing development pressures. Their first success came early on, when they helped the Flathead Land Trust secure conservation easements on more than 1,000 acres of wetlands along the river.

Since then, initiative partners have protected nearly 9,000 acres, adding to an existing network of more than 14,200 acres of public and private lands.

“One of our key goals has always been to ensure that conservation efforts focus on creating a connected landscape, rather than isolated patches,” von der Pahlen says. In doing so, they’ve helped birds, river otters, bears and other species “that depend on the dynamic riparian corridor of the Flathead River” to thrive.

Partners also collaborate on education and stewardship projects, such as offering speakers series, conservation tours, and tips on attracting pollinators and growing rain gardens. They also recently launched a rich online resource, the Living in the Flathead Guide, www.livinginflathead.org, brimming with useful information for locals and newcomers alike.

Despite a quarter century of success, challenges to Flathead Lake and its tributaries remain. Von der Pahlen enumerates them as pollution from runoff, failing septic systems and the pressures of growth and development, alongside the loss of riparian vegetation, introduction of invasive species and alterations to floodplains.   

In addition, “there’s always the potential threat of industrial accidents,” such as a spill from an oil train as it runs along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, or the accidental release of hazardous chemicals, such as cyanide or heavy metals, from the former Columbia Falls aluminum plant. Either event could cause considerable damage to lakes and rivers in the area.

A warming, less predictable climate can also imperil water quality by making water less available, and intensifying droughts and flooding.  

Even as threats remain and are magnified, von der Pahlen’s commitment to stewardship holds steady. Cultivating partnerships, educating the public and protecting sources of clean, clear water continue to fuel her work with the Flathead Lakers.

Her goal remains “to create a connected network of conservation areas that will ensure the long-term health of the Flathead Watershed,” she said. “Together, we can safeguard the waters, wildlife and communities that depend on them.”