A new project page has been created to provide information on DEQ's Nonpoint Source Program Focus Watershed Initiative, specific to the Bitterroot: Bitterroot Focus Watershed 

Please contact Hannah Riedl, the Focus Watershed Project Coordinator, with inquiries: Hannah.Riedl@mt.gov, (406) 444-0549

A public informational meeting was held in Hamilton at the Bitterroot Valley Board of Realtors office at 5:30 PM on Spetember 22, 2014. This meeting discussed the nutrient, metals, and temperature TMDLs that were developed for the Bitterroot Watershed. The presentation can be found in the "Meetings & Presentations" table below.

July 1, 2013

Updated: July 2

Project Team Changes:

The project coordinator has changed from Christina Staten to Jordan Tollefson. Jordan will also be the project manager for the Mill Creek temperature TMDL. Jordan recently joined DEQ's TMDL program and is coordinating multiple TMDL projects.

Field Work Plans:

Sediment data collection is planned for Meadow and Overwhich creeks in late August. Lick Creek, one of its tributaries, an irrigation canal, and the Lolo WWTP outfall are being sampled for metals in July and September. High-flow samples were collected at the same sites, except the WWTP, in June. Temperature data loggers were deployed in various locations in Mill Creek the week of June 24. The loggers will remain in the stream until early fall, recording the stream temperature every 30 minutes. Information on riparian vegetation and shade conditions will be collected on Mill Creek during the month of August (exact field dates have not been determined).

January 9, 2013

Updated Jan 14

A spreadsheet of the nutrient and metals water quality data collected in 2012 (1.36 MB) is available for review. The spreadsheet contains both a condensed version of the data, and the data with all attributes. The condensed version of the data is also available in PDF format (~0.4 MB). DEQ is currently reviewing the nutrient data. Streams with the required minimum number of samples will be assessed for nutrient impairment following DEQ's new nutrient assessment method. TMDLs will be written for all streams determined to be impaired for nutrients. If a stream does not have the minimum number of samples required to complete the assessment, additional data may possibly be collected this summer.

Additional metals sampling will take place this summer. You may download Montana's numeric water quality standards from DEQ's Beneficial Use Assessment webpage if you would like to compare the metals sampling results to the standards. Numeric standards for nutrients are currently under development. Additional information can be found on DEQ's Numeric Nutrient Criteria webpage 

An advisory group meeting to review the metals and nutrients assessment results and planning activities for the remaining sediment and temperature TMDLs will be planned for later this year.

Water Quality Monitoring Update:

All water quality sampling activities for 2012 were completed in September.

Project Staff Announcement:

Paul Kusnierz is the new project manager for the Mill Creek temperature TMDL. Paul is a new TMDL planner at DEQ, but previously worked in DEQ's water quality monitoring and assessment section. Paul's contact information is included in the project contacts table below.

Metals and nutrients sampling is occuring throughout the watershed during the entire month of August. Another round of sampling will take place in late September. A table and map of sampling locations can be found in the 2012 sampling and analysis plan. Additional information regarding sampling objectives can also be found on the Project Overview page.

July 17, 2012

Updated: August 3

Pages for the Bitterroot TMDLs have been reorganized. Please use the links at the top of each page to navigate between the new project pages. Some older project pages are no longer being used and links to those pages are not included at the top of the page; you may need to update your bookmarks.

Information on the sediment and temperature TMDLs completed in 2011 can be found on the Completed TMDLs in the Bitterroot River Watershed page.

MEETING

PRESENTATIONS & HANDOUTS

October 7, 2010

An advisory group meeting was held at the Middle School in Hamilton to review the components of the draft temperature and sediment tributary TMDLs completed for the Bitterroot TMDL Planning Area (2011 TMDL document).

October 7, 2012 Presentation (5.3 MB)

May 5, 2011

A public informational meeting for the temperature and tributary sediment TMDLs was held at the Bedford Building (City Hall) in Hamilton, MT.

May 5, 2011 Presentation (4.84 MB) 

April 25, 2013

DEQ and EPA held a watershed advisory group meeting in Hamilton to review the current TMDL project, discuss updated metals & nutrients assessment results, what TMDLs will be written, and field work/sampling plans for 2013. This meeting was associated with the 2014 Bitterroot Watershed TMDL document.

April 24, 2013 Presentation (4.96 MB)

Handout: Summary of Current Project & TMDLs to be Written (0.2 MB)

April 16, 2014

A watershed advisory group meeting was held in Hamilton to present the nutrient and metals TMDLs, discuss the sediment impairment updates, and present the temperature TMDL data that was collected in 2013.

April 16, 2014 Presentation (9.26 MB)

April 16, 2014 Meeting Agenda (0.3 MB)

September 23, 2014 

A public informational meeting was held in Hamilton on Spetember 22, 2014. This meeting discussed the nutrient, metals, and temperature TMDLs that were developed for the Bitterroot Watershed Project Area in 2014.

DEQ Contact

Role

Email

Phone

Hannah Riedl

Nonpoint Source Program’s Focus Watershed Coordinator for the Bitterroot

Hannah.Riedl@mt.gov

(406) 444-0549

Kristy Fortman

Bitterroot TMDL Planning Area Sediment TMDL Writer, and Acting Supervisor of the Nonpoint Source & TMDL Programs

Kristy.Fortman@mt.gov

(406) 444-7425