Page Contents
Flint TMDL Planning Area Overview
Map 1: Location of the Flint Creek Watershed
(click on map to enlarge)
The Flint Creek watershed is located in the northern Rocky Mountains of southwestern Montana. The watershed covers an area of approximately 500 square miles, from Georgetown Lake to the Clark Fork near the city of Drummond (Map 1). An inter-basin diversion from the East Fork Rock Creek Reservoir also contributes flow to Flint Creek through its tributary, Trout Creek. Land use in the Flint Creek watershed is primarily forest and grazing, with agriculture in the valleys. Philipsburg is the only urban area of considerable size, but other communities are found scattered throughout the watershed especially at lower elevations. Development of vacation properties near Georgetown Lake has been accelerating recently. Historically, the Flint Creek watershed had considerable mining activity, some of which continues to the present.
Water quality sampling of streams in the Flint Creek watershed showed that several waterbodies are not meeting designated uses and are considered impaired for excess metals, sediment, and nutrients (Figure 2 below). The TMDL project focused upon streams identified as impaired by pollutants on Montana’s 2012 303(d) List. Sediment and metals TMDLs were completed in 2012 and nutrients TMDLs were completed in 2013, published in two separate documents.
Figure 2. Impaired waters in the Flint Creek Watershed (click image to enlarge)
TMDL Documents
TMDLs were published in two separate documents for this project. Metals and sediment TMDLs were completed in 2012 and nutrients TMDLs were completed in 2013. Both documents include recommended land management activities for improving water quality in the Flint Creek watershed, as well as a monitoring strategy to evaluate progress toward attainment of water quality standards. For information on possible funding to implement water quality improvement projects, or for technical help, see DEQ's Nonpoint Source Program webpage or contact Laura Andersen (landersen3@mt.gov, 406-444-0549) or Robert Ray (rray@mt.gov, 406-444-5319).
Nutrients TMDLs
The "Flint Nutrients TMDLs and Water Quality Improvment Plan" was approved by EPA on December 30, 2013 and can be found on DEQ's Final TMDL Documents webpage. Electronic copies are also available at the Philipsburg public library (102 S. Sansome St.) and the State Library in Helena (1515 East 6th Ave).
A public meeting was held December 4, 2013 at the Granite County Museum and Cultural Center in Philipsburg (135 Sansome St.) where Paul Kusnierz presented the document and answered questions. The presentation from the meeting is available in the table below. The public notice contains additional meeting details.
Metals & Sediment TMDLs
The "Flint Creek Planning Area Sediment and Metals TMDLs and Framework Water Quality Improvment Plan" was approved by EPA on October 2, 2012. The document is posted on DEQ's Final TMDL Documents webpage. A public meeting was held in Philipsburg on March 7, 2012. Jim Bond and Darrin Kron gave a presentation (available in the table below) discussing the draft sediment and metals TMDL document.
Meetings & Presentations
|
MEETING |
PRESENTATIONS & HANDOUTS |
|
March 7, 2012 A public meeting was held in Philipsburg to review the draft metals and sediment TMDLs during their public comment period. |
Public Meeting Presentation (5.17 MB) Jim Bond, the Sediment Project Manager, and Darrin Kron, the Metals Project Manager, gave this presentation. |
|
February 21, 2013 DEQ held a technical advisory group (TAG) meeting to discuss the nutrient TMDL source assessment and modeling approaches, and nutrient TMDL allocations. |
Nutrient TAG Meeting Presentation (~0.4 MB) Paul Kusnierz, the Nutrients Project Manager, and Eric Regensburger, the Project Modeler, gave this presentation. |
|
September 26, 2013 DEQ held a stakeholder meeting to review and discuss the draft nutrient TMDLs. |
Nutrient Stakeholder Meeting Presentation (1.13 MB) Paul Kusnierz, the Nutrients Project Manager, gave this presentation. |
|
December 4, 2013 DEQ held a public meeting in Philipsburg to present the draft nutrients TMDL document and discuss questions. |
Nutrients TMDLs Public Meeting Presentation (~0.4 MB) Paul Kusnierz, the Nutrients Project Manager gave this presentation. |
Project Contact Information
|
PROJECT MEMBER |
AGENCY / ORG |
ROLE |
|
PHONE |
|
Current TMDL Project |
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|
Paul Kusnierz |
DEQ |
Nutrients Project Manager* |
(406) 444-4205 |
|
|
Eric Regensburger |
DEQ |
Water Quality Modeler |
(406) 444-6714 |
|
|
Completed TMDL Projects |
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|
Jim Bond |
DEQ |
Sediment Project Manager
Jim was the project manager for sediment TMDLs that were completed in 2012 for Flint Creek and Barnes, Douglas, and Smart creeks. The sediment and metals TMDL document will be posted on DEQ's Final TMDL Documents webpage, once approved by EPA. |
Jim has left DEQ. Contact Dean Yashan, TMDL Program Supervisor, with any questions: |
Dean Yahsan: (406) 444-5317 |
|
Darrin Kron* |
DEQ |
Metals Project Manager
Darrin was the project manager for metals TMDLs that were completed in 2012 for Flint Creek and nine of its tributaries.
The sediment and metals TMDL document will be posted on DEQ's Final TMDL Documents webpage, once approved by EPA. |
(406) 444-4765 |
|
|
Additional Contacts |
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|
Laura Andersen |
DEQ |
Laura works in DEQ’s nonpoint source program and is the TMDL implementation contact for the Flint Creek watershed. Laura is working with the Granite Headwaters Watershed Group to create a watershed restoration plan.
For information on land management practices that can improve water quality, see DEQ’s Nonpoint Source Webpage. |
(406) 444-0549 |
|
| Noorjahan Parwana |
Granite Headwaters Watershed Group |
Watershed Coordinator |
nparwana@hotmail.com |
(406) 782-3682 |
|
Karen Petersen |
Granite Conservation District (CD) |
Karen is the CD’s District Administrator. Contact the Granite CD for information on conservation practices and required permits for streambank stabilization projects and in-stream work (construction activity in a stream). |
(406) 859-3291 |
|
* Darrin Kron was the former nutrients and metals project manager. Darrin has changed positions within DEQ and is now the Monitoring & Assessment Section Supervisor for the Water Quality Planning Bureau.
Page Released: June 24, 2011
Last Updated: March 27, 2014