A new page has been created specific to nutrient standards development for Flathead Lake. Meeting notifications, presentations, and technical documents related to this project will be posted on the new Flathead Lake Nutrient Standards page. Future notifications and information about the standards development will not be contained on this page.

The sediment water quality assessment reports for Flathead Lake and Whitefish Lake are available on the Sediment & Temperature TMDLs page in Table 2. These two reports support the determinations that neither lake is impaired for sediment. 

An advisory group meeting is being planned for this spring to present the results of last year's PCB and mercury sampling, and also to discuss plans for future monitoring on Ashley Creek in order to better understand the sources of nutrients in the area around and upstream of Smith Lake. A separate meeting is being planned for April to discuss the process for the potential development of nutrient water quality standards for Flathead Lake. 

November 12, 2014

Edited: Nov 29

The draft Flathead Lake watershed model report is available for advisory group review through January 31, 2015 (until 12 a.m. February 1). The report and information on submitting comments can be found in Table 5 on the Nutrients page.

The public comment period for the draft "Flathead - Stillwater Planning Area Nutrient, Sediment, and Temperature TMDLs and Water Quality Improvement Plan" closed today. DEQ and the EPA Montana Operations Office are in the process of preparing the document for submittal to EPA in Denver for approval. Advisory group members will be notified by email when the final document is available on DEQ's TMDL webpage, which is anticipated to be in early 2015. Responses to public comments will be contained in Appendix F of the document. 

The draft "Flathead - Stillwater Planning Area Nutrient, Sediment, and Temperature TMDLs and Water Quality Improvement Plan" will be available for public comment from Friday, October 10, 2014 until 5 p.m. Wednesday, November 12, 2014. The draft document and information on submitting comments can be found on DEQ's website at: http://deq.mt.gov/pubcom.mcpx. Copies of the document will also be available at the Big Fork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Missoula, Polson, and Whitefish public libraries.

A public informational meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, October 30, 2014 in Ballroom A of the Red Lion Hotel in Kalispell. Project staff will give a presentation discussing the contents of the document and will answer questions. See the press release for additional details.

The draft nutrient TMDLs for Ashley and Spring creeks, sediment TMDLs for tributaries, temperature TMDLs for Ashley Creek and the Whitefish River, and associated appendices are available on the Flathead Draft TMDL Document page for advisory group review and comment. Please submit comments to Christina Staten at CStaten@mt.gov by Wednesday, September 24, 2014. 

The presentation for this Thursday's advisory group meeting will be posted Wednesday afternoon in the "Meetings & Presentations" table below.

July 15, 2014

Updated: July 16

A webinar is being held from 10 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15, 2014. Tetra Tech will be presenting the final model calibration results and existing source loads. DEQ, EPA, and Tetra Tech will also discuss nutrient modeling scenarios for Ashley and Spring Creeks. The presentation is available for download in the "Meetings & Presentations" table below.

Webinar Link: https://epa.connectsolutions.com/r6w4qox8yqa/

Call-in Number: 1-866-299-9141

Participant Code: 62428762

The Project Overview and Nutrient TMDLs project pages have been updated to show the TMDLs that are being written as part of the 2014 project and the impairments that will be addressed after 2014. Direct links to an interactive map of each waterbody's geographic location and the waterbody's water quality assessment summaries are provided in the tables on these pages.

Additionally, an updated version of the Ashley Creek and Whitefish River temperature assessment report has been posted on the Sediment & Temperature project page.

The final agenda for tomorrow's 9:30 a.m. WAG meeting is available. A discussion of upcoming PCB monitoring in the Flathead Lake watershed has been added to the agenda. Presentations for the meeting will be posted in the "Meetings & Presentations" table below, later today or late this evening. A handout for the PCB discussion has already been posted in the below table.

The presentation for tomorrow's TAG webinar has been posted in the "Meetings & Presentations" table below. The presentation is a continuance of the presentation given during the January 29 webinar.

Webinar Link: https://epa.connectsolutions.com/r3nv566wjk9/

Conference Number: 1-866-299-9141

Participant Code: 62428762

Webinar will be held from 10 a.m. to noon

A webinar is being held with the technical advisory group this Wednesday, January 29. The presentation is available in the "Meetings & Presentations" table below. This will be a technical meeting focused on the setup and calibration results of the Flathead Lake watershed model. A more general watershed advisory group meeting will be held in Kalispell in the next few months.

Webinar Link: https://epa.connectsolutions.com/r3sh18zl9vw/

Conference Number: 1-866-299-9141

Participant Code: 62428762

Webinar will be held from 10 a.m. till noon

A project update is available with information on the status of: the nutrient model, water quality standards for Flathead Lake, and the sediment and temperature TMDLs. A summary table of pollutant impairment statuses is also available. The table identifies for each pollutant whether a TMDL will be written, if a water quality assessment is still underway, if it will be delisted, or if additional monitoring is needed for pollutants that will be addressed after 2014.

The next watershed advisory group meeting will be held early next year, where we will discuss pollutant impairment statuses and project updates.

Jim Bond, the sediment (streams) and temperature TMDLs project manager, has left DEQ. Paul Kusnierz with DEQ will take over as project manager for these TMDLs. You may reach Paul at pkusnierz@mt.gov or (406) 444-4205.

The next advisory group meeting has not been scheduled.

The final agenda for Monday's WAG meeting is available. After the WAG meeting, Elena Evans with DEQ's Watershed Protection Section will also be giving a presentation on recent changes to 319 funding requirements and the types of projects that can be funded, and on what happens after TMDLs are complete. If you are interested in working on a watershed restoration plan for any portion of the Flathead Basin or in implementing restoration projects, please consider staying for this presentation, anticipated to last about 30 minutes. You may also call in to the meeting to hear this presentation. Three of the four presentations that will be given on Monday are available for download in the "Meetings & Presentations" table below so that you may follow along if you are intending to call-in to the meeting.

Please use the following information to call-in:

Number: 1-866-299-9141

Passcode: 62428762

A watershed advisory group meeting will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, June 17 in the conference room of the Fish, Wildlife & Parks building in Kalispell. DEQ and EPA will present updates on the nutrient, sediment, and temperature TMDLs. Dr. Suplee with DEQ will also discuss nutrient standards for Flathead Lake. See the draft agenda for additional details.

If you would like to call-in to the meeting, please use the following information:

Number: 1-866-299-9141

Passcode: 62428762

The presentation for tomorrow's TAG meeting is available for download in the "Meetings & Presentations" table below. The meeting is expected to last 2 to 3 hours; see the final meeting agenda for additional details. If you would like to call-in to the meeting, please use the following information:

Call-in Number: 1-866-299-9141

Passcode: 62428762

March 19, 2013

Updated: April 8

A technical advisory group meeting will be held Thursday, April 18 at 1:30 p.m. in the conference room of the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Office in Kalispell. Representatives from Tetra Tech will present and discuss the components of the Phase 1 model set-up and calibration, and a plan for Phase 2 modeling. See the meeting agenda for additional details. Contact Jason Gildea (406-457-5028) if you have any questions.

This meeting will also be available via conference call. The presentation will be posted on this page and available for download prior to the meeting.

Call-in Number: 1-866-299-9141

Passcode: 62428762

The presentation from the January 30 WAG meeting is posted below. A slide was added to the end of the presentation to show the results of the metals impairment determinations. A presentation on a sediment source assessment of the Stillwater River was not given at the meeting, but will be given at the next WAG meeting (meeting date has not been scheduled).

The next TAG meeting is anticipated to be held in March where the phase 1 model results will be presented and the phase 2 approach discussed. Phase 1 modelng includes the Upper Flathead and Swan watersheds.

January 14, 2013

Updated: Feb 4

The metals and nutrient water quality data collected in 2012 is available on the Nutrients page.

Data collected prior to 2012 is available from EPA's STORET database: http://www.epa.gov/storet/dw_home.html. Click on "Results Download" and use "Option D" to download the data by HUC (hydrologic unit code). Enter your zip code in the box at the above link to find the applicable HUC codes. The data will be returned to you as a text file that you will need to import into MS Excel or MS Access to view. You may also contact Christina Staten at cstaten@mt.gov if you would like the data emailed to you.

A watershed advisory group meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 30 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Regional Office in Kalispell. Ongoing activities for the sediment, temperature, and nutrient TMDLs will be discussed, and water quality data collected during the 2012 field season will be presented. Additional details can be found in the meeting agenda.

The 2012 water quality data will be posted within the next week.

The presentation from the October 17 meeting is posted below.

General Project Update - this document provides updates on non-modeling activities. The items included will be the topics of the next WAG meeting, which has not been scheduled.

Update Regarding October 17, 2012 Stakeholder Meeting:

The WAG portion of this meeting has been cancelled. The TAG meeting will now start at 1 p.m.

A WAG meeting will be rescheduled for later this fall; check back in a few weeks for details.

September 6, 2012

Updated: Oct 4

The presentation given by Tetra Tech at the February 21, 2012 TAG meeting has been posted below. EPA requests that all comments on the draft QAPP be submitted by Friday, March 9. Please submit comments to Jason Gildea at gildea.jason@epa.gov and copy Ron Steg at ron.steg@tetratech.com. If you need to mail your comments, please send them to Jason Gildea at: USEPA, 10 West 15th St, Suite 3200, Helena, MT 59626. The next TAG meeting is anticipated to be held in July where preliminary modeling results will be presented. 

The draft QAPP for the Flathead Lake watershed water quality model has been posted on the Nutrient TMDLs page. Representatives from Tetra Tech, Inc. will be at the February 21 technical advisory group meeting to discuss technical details of the model. If you plan to attend this meeting, please review the QAPP ahead of time and come prepared to discuss the modeling approach. The meeting is anticipated to last 2 - 4 hours. All are welcome to attend, however questions and topics outside the scope of this meeting will need to wait for future watershed advisory group meetings.

The meeting will be located at the Kalispell Fish, Wildlife & Parks Regional Office and will be begin at 1 p.m. Please contact Christina Staten (406-444-2836) if you need additional information about the meeting.

Presentations from the January 17, 2012 advisory group meeting have been posted below. A technical advisory group meeting to discuss the water quality model quality assurance project plan (QAPP) is being planned for February 21, 2012 in Kalispell.

A short list of commonly used acronyms has been compiled to help when reviewing our presentations, if needed. They are posted below under the Meetings & Presentations heading.

Presentations from the November 15, 2011 technical advisory group meeting have been posted below.

A sign-up sheet was sent around at the meeting for attendees to add their name if they would like to be included for future technical advisory group meetings held to discuss details of the nutrient model, and to receive emails on model development. If you would like to be part of this group, please contact Jason Gildea at gildea.jason@epa.gov.

A technical advisory group meeting is being planned for early 2012 to discuss modeling details.

It was discovered that an equation was missing on page 10 of the "Results of the 2007 and 2008 Nutrient Monitoring" nutrient technical report. A corrected version was posted on the Flathead Lake Watershed Nutrient TMDLs page.

October 13, 2011

New pages for the Flathead TMDL project have been created and older pages reorganized and updated.

Another advisory group meeting is being planned for the second week of November.

MEETING

PRESENTATIONS & HANDOUTS

June 14, 2007

DEQ and EPA met with stakeholders to provide a project update

June 14, 2011 Presentation (4.5 MB)

This presentation: provides a brief history of TMDL work completed prior to 2007, reviews the strategy that was in place in 2007 for completing TMDLs in the watershed, and discusses the roles and involvement of stakeholders during TMDL development.

October 12, 2010

DEQ and EPA gave a presentation to the Flathead Regional Wastewater Management Group

October 12, 2010 Presentation (0.7MB)

September 28, 2011

DEQ and EPA held a stakeholder meeting and gave a series of presentations regarding the status of the nutrient, sediment, and temperature TMDLs.

Overview of the Flathead Lake Watershed TMDL Project (2.34 MB)

TMDL Basics (What is a TMDL?) (.05 MB)

Sediment & Temperature TMDL Development Process & Status (2.2 MB)

Nutrient TMDL Project Objectives and Tasks & Explanation of the Nutrient Modeling Process (6.43 MB)

Handout: Description of Public Involvement and Flathead TMDL Advisory Groups

November 15, 2011

DEQ and EPA held a technical advisory group meeting to discuss details on development of a water quality model for the Flathead Lake watershed. Representatives from Tetra Tech, Inc. gave two presentations on proposed methods for modeling nutrients and sediment from a variety of sources in the watershed. 

Case Study: Development of the Lake Tahoe Watershed Model (4.63 MB)

Details of the Flathead Lake Watershed Model (0.6 MB)

January 17, 2012

DEQ and EPA held an advisory group meeting to provide brief project updates. Dr. Michael Suplee with DEQ's Water Quality Standards Section gave a presentation discussing development of numeric nutrient standards in Montana and how the standards will be implemented.

Flathead Lake Watershed TMDL Project Scope and Project Contacts (1.15 MB)

What Has Been Done, Current Status, &  Next Steps for the Sediment and Temperature TMDLs (1.16 MB)

Nutrient TMDL Objectives, Technical Memos and Model Updates, Next Steps (0.4 MB)

Numeric Nutrient Standards Development in Montana (4.41 MB)

February 21, 2012 

DEQ and EPA held a technical advisory group meeting.

Representatives from Tetra Tech gave a presentation on the use of a LSPC model and discussed the draft Flathead Lake Basin LSPC Modeling Approach and Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP).

Case Study of an LSPC Model used in the North Saskatchewan River Watershed (6.11 MB)

This presentation covers an overview of the North Saskatchewan River watershed model, the model's set-up and calibration, results interpretation, and lessons learned.

October 17, 2012

EPA held a technical advisory group meeting to provide a modeling update. Tetra Tech gave a presentation discussing the current modeling work in the Swan River watershed and the watersheds of the North and Middle forks of the Flathead River. They reviewed model conceptualization and calibration data.

January 30, 2013

EPA and DEQ held a watershed advisory group meeting to review the results of the 2012 nutrients and metals water quality sampling and water quality assessment results (impairment determinations).

Nutrients & Metals Water Quality Sampling & Assessment Results (1.81 MB)

A selection of photos taken by DEQ during the 2012 sampling events were shown during the presentation to show the condition of the sampled streams:

Photos shown during the presentation (5.32 MB)

April 18, 2013

EPA held a technical advisory group meeting. Representatives from Tetra Tech gave this presentation to discuss the phase I model set-up and calibration and also phase II modeling plans.

Flathead Phase I Model Set-Up & Calibration; Phase II Modeling Plan (3.15 MB)

Meeting Agenda

June 17, 2013

DEQ and EPA held a watershed advisory group meeting. Dr. Michael Suplee from DEQ's Standards Section presented information on nutrient targets and standards for Flathead Lake. Jim Bond discussed findings from a sediment source reconnaissance of the Stillwater River. Jason Gildea gave an update on the modeling process, and Elena Evans with DEQ's nonpoint source program gave a presentation on recent 319 guidance changes.

Status Update on Nutrient Modeling - Jason Gildea (0.5 MB)

Stillwater River Sediment Reconnaissance -Jim Bond (2.46 MB)

Nutrient Water Quality Standards for Flathead Lake - Mike Suplee (1.26 MB)

319 Funding Changes & TMDL Implementation Process - Elena Evans (0.9 MB)

Handout: TMDL Implementation & DEQ Nonpoint Source Program Contacts

Meeting Agenda

January 29, 2014

EPA held a webinar to review the completed Flathead Lake watershed model with the technical advisory group. Representatives from Tetra Tech gave a presentation on the setup of the model and preliminary calibration results.

March 11, 2014

EPA held a webinar to discuss revisions that had been made to the model since the webinar held on January 29. Representatives from Tetra Tech gave the presentation.

Flathead LSPC Model Calibration & Source Loading Results - Updates (1.9 MB)

April 30, 2014 

DEQ and EPA held a WAG meeting at the Kalispell FWP Office.

Meeting Agenda

April 30, 2014 Presentation (2.73 MB)

This presentation includes the draft temperature TMDLs and allocations for the Whitefish River, discusses the targets to be used for the tributary sediment TMDLs, provides an update on the watershed model and how the nutrient TMDLs and allocations will be presented for Ashley and Spring Creeks, and the next steps for completion of the 2014 TMDLs.

Handout: PCBs in Flathead and Whitefish Lakes and the Whitefish River 

July 15, 2014

A webinar was held to present the final model calibration results, and to discuss the nutrient modeling scenarios for Ashley and Spring Creeks.

July 15, 2014 Webinar Presentaion (1.76 MB)

Revised version posted July 14. Minor edits were made to slides 13 and 24.

September 11, 2014

A WAG meeting will be held at 1 p.m. at the Kalispell FWP office to discuss the draft nutrient, sediment, and temperature TMDLs and allocations.

Project Introduction & Project Completion Schedule (~0.3 MB) - Dean Yashan & Christina Staten

Model Update & Draft Nutrient TMDLs for Ashley and Spring Creeks (2.17 MB) - Jason Gildea

Draft Sediment & Temperature TMDLs (2.36 MB) - Paul Kusnierz

October 30, 2014

A public meeting was held at the Red Lion hotel in Kalispell to discuss and answer questions about the draft "Flathead - Stillwater Planning Area Nutrient, Sediment, and Temperature TMDLs and Water Quality Improvement Plan"

October 30, 2014 Public Meeting Presentation (4.26 MB)

Handout (~0.4 MB)

Presenters: Christina Staten, Jason Gildea, Paul Kusnierz, Eric Trum, & Dean Yashan

June 4, 2015

DEQ held a meeting at the FWP Regional Office in Kalispell to present the results of PCB and mercury monitoring that took place in the watershed in 2014, and to discuss plans for additional nutrient monitoring on Ashley Creek.

Results of 2014 PCB & Mercury Monitoring (1.01 MB) - Katie Makarowski

Resolution Options for the Whitefish River Oil & Grease & PCB Impairments (~0.2 MB) - Peter Brumm

Draft Nutrient Monitoring Plans for Ashley Creek (~0.2 MB) - Paul Kusnierz

Project Member

Agency

Project Role

Email

Phone

Jason Gildea

EPA

Project Manager for Nutrient TMDLs

Gildea.Jason@epa.gov

406-457-5028

Christina Staten

DEQ

Contact for Sediment & Temperature TMDLs

CStaten@mt.gov

406-444-2836

Christina Staten

DEQ

Project Coordinator

CStaten@mt.gov

406-444-2836