UMW Students Place 3rd At Montana Section Of The American Water Resources Association

University of Montana Western students Dakota Willis, John Fitzpatrick, Taylor Williams, and Landon 'Bird' Hayes recently placed third in the student competition at the Montana Section of the American Water Resources Association (MT AWRA) annual meeting in Great Falls. Their research project, conducted as part of UMW’s Applied Environmental Geophysics class, focused on mapping buried river channels in the Medicine Lake area of northeast Montana.

The project was led by Dr. Neil Foley, Associate Professor of Geophysics, in collaboration with the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (MBMG). The Bureau is studying former river channels that were filled with sediment during the last glacial period. Before glaciation, northern Montana had an extensive river network, including the ancestral Missouri River. When the Laurentide Ice Sheet advanced, these channels were filled with glacial till, leaving them buried beneath today’s flat landscape.

“MBMG is working to identify and map these buried channels because they may contain perched aquifers—shallow, isolated pockets of groundwater that can be easier to access and may contain fresher water,” said Dr. Foley. “Understanding where these features are located is valuable for agriculture and water management in the region.”

Using equipment from UMW and Montana Tech, the students collected geophysical data to image below the surface and interpret subsurface structures. Their primary tool, an Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT)system, measures how easily electrical current flows through the ground to produce two-dimensional images that reveal variations in subsurface resistivity. By comparing these results with well log data, the team identified zones that likely represent ancient sand and gravel river deposits—signatures of buried channels.

The students’ work in the field required persistence and adaptability. “We had a finite number of days to collect a lot of data, and the students worked hard to get it all in,” said Dr. Foley. “Fieldwork always comes with challenges—equipment failures, weather, long days—but they stayed professional and disciplined throughout.”

The students also created their research poster for the MT AWRA conference while managing other coursework. “It’s a lot of extra effort to prepare for a conference presentation, and they did it on their own time,” Dr. Foley added.

Beyond earning recognition at the competition, the project offered valuable real-world experience. “UMW strives to immerse students in authentic practice within their disciplines,” said Dr. Foley. “This project allowed them to partner with professionals, define a problem of local importance, and execute a field-based investigation. Those are exactly the kinds of skills they’ll use in their careers.”

UMW’s small class sizes and emphasis on field experience give students hands-on access to professional-grade geophysical equipment. Combined with the university’s block scheduling system, which allows students to focus on one class at a time, these experiences prepare them for meaningful work after graduation.

The research partnership between UMW and MBMG will continue next year, with plans already underway for a third field campaign in northeast Montana.

For more information and this project, contact Dr. Neil Foley at neil.foley@umwestern.edu. 

For more information on the University of Montana Western and its programs, visit www.umwestern.edu or call 877-683-7331.