Buddy Spangler Memorial River Clean Up

Recap of our first Clark Fork River Clean Up in Mineral County was a success! We had over 50 volunteers including community members cleaning up garbage on foot at numerous public access sites up the St. Regis River & along the Clark Fork River from Superior to St. Regis.  There were approximately 9 rafts and 10 paddleboarders & kayakers who floated stretches of the Clark Fork River from Tarkio, MT to St. Regis, MT (this is over 28 miles)!  The total amount of garbage collected was over 1,500 pounds; with over 1,200 pounds of that recycled at Pacific Steel in Missoula, MT.  We look forward to hosting this again next year focusing on a different stretch of river in Mineral County!  

Check out the photos below provided by our volunteers. 

Preserving Montana's most precious natural resource: our rivers and streams.  Let's begin a tradition to promote conservation and stewardship of the Clark Fork River and it's tributaries. 

Here are a couple of articles written about the Buddy Spangler Memorial River Clean Up: 

https://vp-mi.com/news/2024/aug/21/volunteers-descend-on-st-regis-river-for-clean-up-effort/

https://missoulaflyfishingoutfitters.com/blog/f/clark-fork-river-clean-up 

In 1933, R.W.(Buddy) Spangler of Superior, MT was the Chairman of the Committee on Fish & Game.   “Fish and Game” introduced House Bill 259 – defining navigable waters and authorizing anglers to go along such waters for fishing - specifically identifying high water lines for angling.  We still enjoy the high water mark river access laws in Montana today that Buddy helped implement in the Montana legislature.  The law eventually became our current MCA 87-2-305 (Fish, Wildlife & Parks section) and could be argued the best river access law in the world.   

For more information on The Public Trust Doctrine & Montana's Stream Access; see the full document at the bottom of the page.

Schedule of the Day: 

Volunteer Meeting at 8am (Location: Vacant Lot between Masonic Temple & Mineral Pharmacy 203-205 River Street Superior, MT) 

Volunteer Raffle Tickets & discounted meal coupons disbursed along with garbage bags, gloves,  lunches from River  Side Soups & Sandz and  area assignments for boats & other volunteers to Public Fishing Accesses in Mineral County.  

Drop off all collected refuse at the flatbed garbage trailer located at the volunteer check in tent. 203-205 River Street Superior, MT. 

Join us at the Nugget Lounge (Durango's Restaurant) at 3PM for an after party.  Drawings for the raffle will begin at 4:30PM. 

Please direct any questions regarding this event to londonmattywest@gmail.com or bessiespangler@gmail.com 

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday August 17, 2024!