Flathead Lake Biological Station: Site 2 Winter 2021 – River Floodplain

The pristine Nyack Floodplain on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in Northwestern Montana is one of the best studied montane alluvial floodplains on earth. Since the 1980s, Flathead Lake Biological Station ecologists and other researchers have been rigorously studying the Nyack, a remarkable floodplain that contains an expansive alluvial aquifer and is brimming with prehistoric insects called stoneflies.

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Contact Information:

Affiliation (e.g., university, agency, non-profit): University of Montana
Field Station, Marine Lab or Field Site Name: Flathead Lake Biological Station
Website of Field Station, Marine Lab: https://flbs.umt.edu/
Contact: Ian Withrow
Contact Email: ian.withrow@flbs.umt.edu

Video Information:

Video Developed by: Ian Withrow
Date of Video Recording: 12/20/2021
Time of Day Video Recorded: 12:00 am
Season: Winter
Video Site Number: Site 2
North Orientation: Compass

Location and Environment

Country: United States of America
State: Montana
Latitude: 48.43949562000294
Longitude: -113.80570600752615
Elevation: 2,500-5,000 ft
Slope: Flat
Aspect: S
Climate Zones: Continental
Biomes: Streams and Rivers
Habitat Types: Terrestrial
Vegetation Types: The Nyack Floodplain is located on the southern edge of Glacier National Park, which is comprised of forest, dry coniferous forest, dry meadow and prairie, wet meadow, and lakes, rivers, and streams. The region also supports over 200 different species of birds, a variety of native and nonnative fish, and over 70 unique mammal species. What makes the Nyack Floodplain especially unique is that it’s also home to around 50 different species of stoneflies, some of which have evolved (and are continuing to evolve) to survive entirely underground and without oxygen.

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