Flathead Draft TMDL Document


Flathead TMDL Project Overview

Contacts     Project Outreach     Nutrient TMDLs     Sediment & Temperature TMDLs

 

Draft Flathead TMDL Document for Advisory Group Review

 

 

The "Flathead - Stillwater Planning Area Nutrient, Sediment, and Temperature TMDLs and Water Quality Improvement Plan" was approved by the EPA in Denver on December 17, 2014. The final document is available on DEQ's TMDL webpage. Copies of the document are also available at the Big Fork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Missoula, Polson, and Whitefish public libraries. 

 

A public informational meeting to review the draft document was held October 30, 2014 at the Red Lion Hotel in Kalispell. DEQ and EPA project staff gave a presentation discussing the information in the document and answered questions. Their presentation is available for download on the Project Outreach page.

 

Contact Christina Staten with any questions: CStaten@mt.gov or (406) 444-2836

 

 

Document Section

Section Contents

Date Posted

Submit Comments To:

Document Summary

A summary of the document’s contents, conclusions, and TMDLs written

Was not available until public comment

The stakeholder review version of the document sections have been removed from this page. 

 

The final document is available on DEQ's TMDL webpage.

 

Copies of the document are also be available at the Big Fork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Missoula, Poslon, and Whitefish public libraries. 

 

Contact Christina Staten with questions:

CStaten@mt.gov

(406) 444-2836

Introductory Sections

Three document sections: a project overview, a summary of impaired beneficial uses and the applicable water quality standards, and a basic description of each component of a TMDL.

Was not available until public comment

Project Area Description

A summary description of the physical, ecological, and social characteristics of the Flathead Lake watershed, including Ashley Creek, Stillwater River, Whitefish River, and Whitefish Lake watersheds.

Was not available until public comment

Tributary Nutrient TMDLs & Supporting Appendices (3.59 MB)

(Ashley and Spring Creeks)

Evaluation of current water quality conditions, comparison of conditions to nutrient targets, modeling and calculation of nutrient source loading estimates, and nutrient TMDLs and allocations for Ashley and Spring Creeks.

9/9/14

Tributary Sediment TMDLs (1.48 MB)

Evaluation of current water quality conditions, comparison of conditions to sediment targets, modeling and calculation of sediment source loading estimates, and sediment TMDLs and allocations.

9/9/14

Tributary Temperature TMDLs (2.4 MB)

(Ashley Creek and Whitefish River)

Evaluation of current water quality conditions, comparison of conditions to temperature targets, modeling and calculation of temperature source loading estimates, and temperature TMDLs and allocations for Ashley Creek and the Whitefish River.

7/15/14

Non-Pollutants & Future TMDLs

Descriptions of non-pollutant impairments in the project area and pollutant impairments that will be addressed in future TMDL projects.

Was not available until public comment

Restoration & Monitoring Strategies

Discusses water quality restoration objectives, a strategy for meeting the identified objectives and TMDLs, and a water quality monitoring plan for evaluating long-term effectiveness of restoration activities and meeting TMDL targets.

Was not available until public comment

Appendix

Appendix Description

Date Posted

Submit Comments To:

Montana’s Water Quality Standards & Regulatory Framework

Contains detailed information about legal requirements for developing TMDLs and Montana’s nutrients, sediment, temperature, and dissolved oxygen water quality standards

Was not available until public comment

The stakeholder review version of these documents has been removed from this page.

Sediment Daily Loads (~0.1 MB) Presents the tributary sediment TMDLs as daily loads, expressed as tons per day.  9/9/14

Fish Species and Effluent Discharge Data for Ashley Creek and the Whitefish River (0.1 MB)

Tables of: discharge data from the Ashley Creek USGS gage, fish species distribution for Ashley Creek and the Whitefish River, and flow and temperature effluent discharge data from permitted facilities on Ashley Creek and the Whitefish River.

7/15/14

Ashley Creek & Whitefish River Temperature Modeling Report (1.9 MB)

Temperature modeling report for Ashley Creek and the Whitefish River. This temperature assessment was conducted using a QUAL2K model independent of the Flathead Lake watershed LSPC model for sediment and nutrients.

7/15/14

Response to Comments

An appendix will be added to the final document that will contain responses to written comments received during the official public comment period. Comments received during the stakeholder review period will not be included in this appendix.

Available in Appendix F of the final document

Attachment

Attachment Description

Date Posted

Sediment and Habitat Assessment Report (2.31 MB)

Assessment of fine sediment and habitat conditions for tributaries sampled in 2008

9/9/14

 

 

Supporting Documents

 

These documents will not be published as part of the TMDL document (i.e., they will not be an appendix or attachment to the document). They are kept in DEQ’s Water Quality Planning Bureau Library, and will also remain on this site after the TMDL project is complete.  

 

Document

Document

Date

Document Description

Submit Comments To:

Flathead Lake Watershed Modeling Report (5.91 MB)

 

Appendix A (3.06 MB)

Appendix B (~0.4 MB)

Appendix C (~0.7 MB)

Appendix D (7.19 MB)

Appendix E (6.33 MB)

Appendix F (3.28 MB)

Appendix G (2.15 MB)

Appendix H (9.63 MB)

 

2014

Report containing calibration and scenario results for the LSPC model developed for the Flathead Lake watershed (note that Flathead Lake itself was not modeled)

Comment are no longer being accepted. Comment deadline was February 1, 2015

 

Contact Eric Regensburger with questions:

ERegensburger@mt.gov

(406) 444-6714

Ashley Creek Watershed Characterization (1.92 MB)

2014

A summary description of the physical, ecological, and social characteristics of the respective watershed

Comments are no longer being accepted. Contact Christina Staten with questions: 

CStaten@mt.gov

(406) 444-2836

Haskill Creek Watershed Characterization (1.55 MB)

2007

Stillwater River Watershed Characterization (2.18 MB)

2007

Whitefish River Watershed Characterization (2.13 MB)

2006

 

 

 

Project Contacts

 

Contact

Role

Email

Phone

Christina Staten

Project Coordinator

CStaten@mt.gov

(406) 444-2836

Jason Gildea

Project Manager for Ashley Creek and Spring Creek nutrient TMDLs

Gildea.Jason@epa.gov

(406) 457-5028

Eric Regensburger

Project Modeler

ERegensburger@mt.gov

(406) 444-6714

 

 


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Last Updated: July 15, 2021