National Science Foundation EPSCoR awards Montana $20 million to advance research and education in water quality

The National Science Foundation has funded a new $20 million research and education project on water quality in Montana.

The project, titled the Consortium for Research on Environmental Water Systems, or CREWS, is a partnership between Montana State University, the University of Montana, Montana Technological University, Salish Kootenai College and Little Big Horn College to study Montana water systems and water quality issues.

The CREWS project will focus on three study sites: the upper Clark Fork River, the Judith River Watershed and the Powder River Basin. Research will explore how nutrients and contaminants affect water quality — from rivers and soils to the local communities that rely on clean water.