Louden Easements
Louden’s Family Legacy: Four Miles of Flathead River, Over 1,000 Acres Protected
The Louden family has quite a legacy in the Flathead Valley that will live on forever after conserving 1,088 acres of farmland and riverfront. A collective of multiple family members has placed seven parcels under conservation easement, encompassing approximately four miles of the Flathead River as well as Church Slough. The family has deep roots in the Flathead – farming here since 1911 when Hugh Baird Louden purchased some of the land from the original homesteaders. One of the homesteaders was Christopher Church, namesake of Church Slough.
Photo above: Church Slough melting in the spring, photo by Dan Casey.
Over 800 acres of prime agricultural soil, among the nation’s best, are protected under these easements. The Loudens have cultivated wheat, barley, peas, alfalfa, and hay on this fertile ground. Their farming heritage also includes a century-long tradition of raising pigs.
The conservation easements safeguard vital fish and wildlife habitat, including over 200 acres of prime riparian area along nearly four miles of the Flathead River, Church Slough and 170 acres of wetland. Each spring, tens of thousands of waterfowl, such as tundra swan, northern pintail, and American wigeon, rely on Church Slough as a crucial feeding ground during migration. The slough also provides important habitat for native bull and westslope cutthroat trout.
Photo above: Wheat field on the conserved Louden family farm
Encompassing more than 600 acres of the Flathead River’s 100-year floodplain and nearly 650 acres of shallow aquifer, where the depth to groundwater is less than eight feet, the Louden’s protected lands help protect water quality and maintain the river’s natural processes. These benefits flow downstream to Flathead Lake, one of the world’s largest and cleanest freshwater lakes.
The Louden conservation project involved seven different conservation easements with five key members of the Louden family including Bruce; his brother Ken; mother, Betty; cousin Ben; and Ben’s mother, Bernice. All of the family felt a special tie to the land. As Bruce said, “There’s so much development going on. We wanted to see our land remain farmland.”
Photo above: Ben, Bruce and Ken Louden, on their conserved lands.