The Two Dot Bank Restoration Project was a collaborative effort of the Upper Musselshell Conservation District; the Musselshell Watershed Coalition (MWC); Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks; Montana Conservation Corps; Big Sky Watershed Corps members; the Lewis and Clark County Conservation District; and the landowners. Their work received financial support from the Montana Watershed Coordination Council Watershed Fund.

 

The project demonstrates that soft bank restoration techniques can be successful on the Musselshell River - a major tributary of the Missouri. It addresses water quality by reducing erosion, increasing riparian area vegetation, and helping landowners prepare for and better manage high-water events. The technique used was a willow soil lift, which is a way to provide an upper bank structure that supports the growth of woody vegetation. Building a willow soil lift involves burying dormant willows along an eroding stream or river bank. As these willows grow and develop roots, they provide a natural solution to erosion.