Ashley Creek & Downtown Plans Public Comment from Citizens for a Better Flathead
April 28, 2025
Ashley Creek is currently under review by the City for a potential water quality standard
downgrade. The UAA states that the “high transmissivity of the aquifer materials result in the
surface and groundwater being hydraulically connected.” (UAA, p. 7). This means that
stormwater, carrying pollutants, impacts the groundwater of this aquifer. The UAA seeks a lower
listing for Ashley Creek, which would further jeopardize the groundwater as a lower standard
allows for a higher contaminant threshold. Because the Main Street Safety Action Plan will work
to expand City parking and create a more walkable, and potentially more bicycle-friendly space,
this is also a good time to address drainage hydraulics and begin creating a plan that will provide
for cleaner waters for Kalispell residents in the future. The Main street Safety Action Plan should
present itself as an opportunity to better the Kalispell community’s environmental footprint.
CBF encourages the City at a minimum to strive to maintain the water quality classification of
C-2 that Ashley Creek is currently listed under, while adopting a clear and immediate goal of
working towards the long term rehabilitation needed for the once healthy and vital creek. The
long-term health of Ashley Creek is vital to the community for a multitude of reasons, from
recreation purposes to the survival of aquatic species and its overall ecological role in the
Flathead watershed. CBF proposes the City be mindful of pushing more stormwater, runoff from
construction and pollution from vehicles into these drains, which will inevitably end up in the
Flathead River and Lake, a staple of the community’s economy.
We are recommending an environmentally-friendly approach that will help restore Ashley
Creek’s impaired ecosystem over the long term. The concept design mentions the potential use
of permeable pavements, this is a great start to a more eco-friendly, sustainable system. There
are many other ways to address climate change and pollution throughout this “upgrade,” that
are not necessarily a burden on budget or funding.
Furthermore, we would like to understand how the City plans to integrate the landscape designs
included in the 2012 Core Plan and 2017 Downtown Plan into the current Main Street Safety
plan. Please see the photo included in the 2017 Downtown Plan, below, for reference.
Additionally, how does this safety plan interface with the goal of retaining the historical
character of the downtown buildings? We believe it is important to understand the continuity of
these plans moving forward.
We applaud the City’s collaboration in the Flathead Rain Garden Initiative and would like to see
how tools like this can be integrated into the Main Street Safety Action Plan implementation.
This added filtration may help reduce the nutrient load on the Ashley Creek Basin. We’ve linked
a “toolkit” from the Delta Institute for green infrastructure regarding stormwater that may be
useful to the City and residents of the City, as one more tool to encourage public participation in
this process through educational outreach. Additionally, CBF staff would welcome opportunities
to discuss greener approaches to this overall plan and to encourage greater public participation
in this process with staff, stakeholders and consultants.
Toolkit on Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Thank you for your time and efforts,
Cameron Dexter
Director of Planning & Policy
Citizens for a Better Flathead