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Boulder-Elkhorn TMDL Planning Area Documents
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TMDLs for this project were published in two separate documents. Metals TMDLs are contained in one document and were approved by EPA on December 20, 2012. Nutrients, sediment, and temperature TMDLs were published in a separate document that was approved by EPA on September 9, 2013. Copies of both documents are available on DEQ's Final TMDL Documents webpage and also at the Helena, Boulder, and Butte public libraries.
The "Boulder-Elkhorn Metals TMDLs and Framework Water Quality Improvement Plan" was approved by EPA on December 20, 2012. The final document can be found on our website at: http://deq.mt.gov/wqinfo/TMDL/finalReports.mcpx under the "Upper Missouri" tab. A public meeting to review the document and answer questions was held Monday, November 26, 2012 at City Hall in Boulder. A copy of the presentation given at this meeting can be found on the Project Outreach page. Several comments were received during the public comment period and responses to comments are contained in Appendix G of the document.
The "Sediment, Nutrients, and Temperature TMDLs and Water Quality Improvement Plans for the Boulder-Elkhorn Planning Area" document was approved by the U.S. EPA in September of 2013 and is available on DEQ's Final TMDL Documents webpage under the "Upper Missouri" tab. A public meeting to review and discuss the document was held June 27, 2013 at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Boulder. The presentation given at the meeting can be found on the Project Outreach page. Comments were received on the draft document during the public comment period and responses to comments are contained in Section 11.0 of the document.
DEQ sampled for a suite of nutrients and metals parameters during high and low flows in 2009 and 2010 throughout the Boulder River watershed. Seventy-three sites were sampled in 2009. A portion of those sites were sampled in 2010, along with 14 new sites. Five sites were sampled in 2011 in order to collect additional data on three streams. The sampling and analysis plans posted below provide tables and maps of sampling locations and the parameters that were sampled at each site. Data from all three years is provided below in both PDF and MS Excel (spreadsheet) formats.
Nutrients & Metals Sampling Plans |
2009 Sampling and Analysis Plan (0.6 MB) Appendices A – C (1.91 MB): Chlorophyll-a Photo Packet, Analyte Checklist, and QA/QC Checklist |
2010 Sampling and Analysis Plan (0.09 MB) |
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Nutrients & Metals Sample Results |
Metals (water column) Sample Results Metals (sediment) Sample Results Nutrients & Chlorophyll-a Sample Results
Spreadsheet of all Metals & Nutrient Sample Results If you would like a comprehensive spreadsheet containing all data attributes, please contact Christina Staten. |
Montana’s Water Quality Standards |
“Circular DEQ-7, Montana Numeric Water Quality Standards” contains numeric water quality standards for metals parameters and can be found on DEQ’s Water Quality Standards web page. |
DEQ is currently developing numeric water quality criteria for nutrients. See DEQ’s Numeric Nutrient Criteria webpage for additional information and to view the draft Circular DEQ-12 containing proposed numeric values. The proposed values for wadeable streams in the Middle Rockies Level III ecoregion will be applied for the Boulder-Elkhorn nutrient TMDLs. |
These reports were incorporated into the final nutrients, sediment, and temperature TMDL document as Attachments 1, 2, and 3. The final TMDL document is available on DEQ's Final TMDL Documents webpage under the "Upper Missouri" tab.
REPORT |
DESCRIPTION |
Sediment and Habitat Conditions and Streambank Erosion Assessments (2.5 MB) |
Instream fine sediment data was collected and streambank erosion assessments were performed during the summer of 2010 on 13 streams. This document summarizes the methods used and the data that was collected. A map of sampled sites is included. |
Assessment of Sediment Contribution from Hillslope Erosion (Upland Modeling Report) (1.16 MB) |
A simple model was used to provide an assessment of existing sediment loading from upland sources and an assessment of potential sediment loading through the application of best management practices. |
Boulder River Temperature Assessment (1.32 MB) |
Stream temperature, flow, and riparian shade data was collected on the Boulder River during the summer of 2010. This information was used in a QUAL2K model to assess the influence of riparian shading and streamflow on stream temperatures in the Boulder River. This report contains a map of sample locations, summarizes the collected data, and discusses the results of the assessment. |
Click on the Adobe icon if you need to download the free Adobe Acrobat software to view these files.
Please contact Christina Staten, if you have problems downloading these documents.
Role |
Contact |
|
Phone |
Project Coordinator |
Christina Staten |
(406) 444-2836 |
|
Project Manager for Metals TMDLs 1 |
Dean Yashan 1 |
(406) 444-5317 |
|
Project Manager for Nutrients TMDLs |
Lou Volpe |
(406) 444-6742 |
|
Project Manager for Sediment & Temperature TMDLs |
Dean Yashan 2 |
(406) 444-5317 |
|
DEQ Nonpoint Source Program Contact for information & assistance on implementing water quality improvement projects |
Ann McCauley or Robert Ray |
|
(406) 444-9897
(406) 444-5319 |
Jefferson Valley Conservation District USDA Building, Whitehall, MT |
Kris Hugulet |
(406) 287-7875 |
|
1. Tim Byron was the metals project manager; he retired from DEQ in November of 2012. Dean is the DEQ TMDL section supervisor. 2. Jim Bond was the sediment and temperature project manager. Jim as left DEQ; Dean is the TMDL section supervisor. |
Page Released: August 27, 2009
Last Updated: December 11, 2013