Central Clark Fork Tributaries TMDL Project
Project Documents Project Outreach
Page Contents
Project Purpose
The state of Montana monitors its waters and conducts water quality assessments to determine if waterbodies are supporting their designated uses. All waterbodies in the Central Clark Fork Tributaries TMDL project area must be maintained suitable for aquatic life, drinking water, agricultural, industrial, and recreational uses. Waters that are determined not to be supporting their designated uses are called impaired and are placed on Montana’s list of impaired waters. Impaired waterbodies and their associated probable causes and sources of impairment are published within Montana’s biennial water quality integrated report.
Montana’s state law, and the federal Clean Water Act that was established by Congress in 1972, require development of total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for all waterbodies impaired by a pollutant (e.g., metals, nutrients, sediment, temperature). A TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards (think of a TMDL as a loading rate). TMDL development includes four main steps:
- Characterizing the impaired waterbody’s existing water quality conditions and comparing those conditions to Montana’s water quality standards. During this step, measurable target values are set to help evaluate the stream’s condition in relation to the applicable water quality standards.
- Quantifying the magnitude of the pollutant contribution from each significant source
- Determining the total allowable load of the pollutant to the waterbody (the TMDL)
- Allocating the total allowable pollutant load into individual loads for each significant source (referred to as load allocations for nonpoint sources and wasteload allocations for point sources)
The TMDL planning process for this project incorporates a combination of water quality sampling and hydrologic modeling to further identify and quantify metals, nutrient, sediment, and temperature contributions from all significant sources to the streams identified in the table below. For more information about the development of TMDLs, please see the What is a TMDL? page on this site or download our pamphlet: Understanding the TMDL Process.
Project Location and Included Streams
The Central Clark Fork Tributaries TMDL Project Area lies in Western Montana and is located in Missoula, Mineral, and Granite counties (see Map 1 below). Population centers in the project area include the the towns of Superior, Alberton, Drummond, and the city of Missoula and surrounding area.
Map 1: Location of the Central Clark Fork Tributaries TMDL Project Area in Montana
[Click on map to enlarge]
The Central Clark Fork Tributaries TMDL project area contains twelve tributaries to the Clark Fork River from the confluence with Flint Creek (near Drummond) to the confluence with the Flathead River (near Paradise/Plains) (Map 2). These twelve streams have been identified as water quality impaired for nutrients, sediment, and/or temperature, all requiring TMDLs. The streams included in this project are: Dry Creek, Flat Creek, Grant Creek, Nemote Creek, Petty Creek, West Fork Petty Creek, Trout Creek, Cramer Creek, Deep Creek, Mulkey Creek, Rattler Gulch, and Tenmile Creek.
This project area is comprised of 2 TMDL planning areas (TPAs), the Middle Clark Fork TPA and the Clark Fork-Drummond TPA (Map 3). Table 1 below identifies the streams that are included in this project, as well as their probable causes of impairment as identified in the “2012 Water Quality Integrated Report.” Metals impairments for the Clark Fork River, Flat Creek, Hall Gulch, Wallace Creek, and Cramer Creek are addressed in separate documents (the Clark Fork River Metals TMDLs, and the Bonita-Superior Metals TMDLs).
Map 2: Central Clark Fork Tributaries Project Area & Included Streams
[Click on map to enlarge]
Map 3: TMDL Planning Areas within the Central Clark Fork Tributaries Project Area
[Click on map to enlarge]
Project Plans
This project includes development of nutrients, sediment, and temperature TMDLs for the streams identified in Table 1 below. Details for each can be found below.
Nutrients
Sediment
In-stream fine sediment data and streambank erosion data was collected, and a survey of unpaved roads in the project area was conducted. Assessment reports of current sediment conditions in the streams, and sediment delivery from streambank erosion and unpaved roads are being drafted. An assessment of sediment contribution from upland sources is also being conducted using a water quality model (examples of upland sources include grazing lands and timber harvest areas, among others). Reports will be posted on the Central Clark Fork Tributaries Documents page for stakeholder review and comment.
Temperature
Temperature data loggers were placed at multiple locations in both streams to record stream temperature every half hour during the warmest months of the year. Stream flow and riparian shade data was also collected, including vegetation type and density and the amount of shade covering the stream channel. This information is being used in a water quality model to estimate thermal loads in both streams. A temperature assessment report will be posted on the Central Clark Fork Tributaries Project Documents page, once completed.
Table 1: List of Impaired Waterbodies and their Impaired Uses in the Central Clark Fork Tributaries TMDL Project Area with Completed Sediment, Nutrient, Temperature, and Turbidity TMDLs Contained in this Document
|
Waterbody & Location Description
|
TMDL Prepared
|
TMDL Pollutant Category
|
Impaired Use(s)
|
|
Dry Creek, headwaters to mouth (Clark Fork River)
|
Nitrogen (Total)
|
Nutrients
|
Aquatic Life,
Primary Contact Recreation
|
|
Flat Creek, headwaters to mouth (Clark Fork River)
|
Sedimentation/Siltation
|
Sediment
|
Aquatic Life,
Primary Contact Recreation
|
|
Trout Creek, headwaters to mouth (Clark Fork River)
|
Turbidity
|
Sediment
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Nemote Creek, headwaters to mouth (Clark Fork River)
|
Nitrogen (Total)
|
Nutrients
|
Aquatic Life,
Primary Contact Recreation
|
|
Phosphorus (Total)
|
Nutrients
|
Aquatic Life,
Primary Contact Recreation
|
|
Temperature, water
|
Temperature
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
West Fork Petty Creek, headwaters to mouth (Petty Creek)
|
Phosphorus (Total)
|
Nutrients
|
Aquatic Life,
Primary Contact Recreation
|
|
Sedimentation/Siltation
|
Sediment
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Petty Creek, headwaters to mouth (Clark Fork River)
|
Sedimentation/Siltation
|
Sediment
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Temperature, water
|
Temperature
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Stony Creek, headwaters to mouth (Ninemile Creek)
|
Phosphorus (Total)
|
Nutrients
|
Aquatic Life,
Primary Contact Recreation
|
|
Grant Creek, headwaters to mouth (Clark Fork River)
|
Nitrate/Nitrite (Nitrite + Nitrate as N)
|
Nutrients
|
Aquatic Life,
Primary Contact Recreation
|
|
Nitrogen (Total)
|
Nutrients
|
Aquatic Life,
Primary Contact Recreation
|
|
Sedimentation/Siltation
|
Sediment
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Temperature, water
|
Temperature
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Cramer Creek, headwaters to mouth (Clark Fork River)
|
Sedimentation/Siltation
|
Sediment
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Tenmile Creek, headwaters to mouth (Bear Creek)
|
Phosphorus (Total)
|
Nutrients
|
Aquatic Life,
Primary Contact Recreation
|
|
Sedimentation/Siltation
|
Sediment
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Deep Creek, headwaters to mouth (Bear Creek)
|
Nitrate/Nitrite (Nitrite + Nitrate as N)
|
Nutrients
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Sedimentation/Siltation
|
Sediment
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Mulkey Creek, headwaters to mouth (Clark Fork River)
|
Sedimentation/Siltation
|
Sediment
|
Aquatic Life,
Primary Contact Recreation
|
|
Rattler Gulch, headwaters to mouth (Clark Fork River)
|
Phosphorus (Total)
|
Nutrients
|
Aquatic Life
|
|
Sedimentation/Siltation
|
Sediment
|
Aquatic Life
|
*Note that TMDLs are developed for “waterbody-pollutant combinations,” meaning a stream can have more than one TMDL. For example, a stream may be impaired for both nitrogen and phosphorus, and therefore will have both a nitrogen TMDL and a phosphorus TMDL.
Project Schedule
All TMDLs are scheduled to be complete before the end of 2014. For project status updates and information on stakeholder and public meetings, see the Central Clark Fork Tributaries Outreach page.
Project Contacts
|
TMDLs
|
Contact
|
Agency
|
Email
|
Phone
|
|
Project Coordinator
|
Jordan Tollefson
|
DEQ
|
jtollefson@mt.gov
|
(406) 444-5341
|
|
Project Manager:
Sediment
Turbidity
|
Christian Schmidt
|
DEQ
|
cschmidt2@mt.gov
|
(406) 444-6777
|
|
Project Manager:
Nutrients
|
Katie Makarowski |
DEQ |
kmkarowski@mt.gov |
(406) 444-3507 |
|
Project Manager:
Temperature
|
Eric Sivers |
DEQ |
esivers@mt.gov |
(406) 444-0471 |
Page Released: August 30, 2013
Last Updated: May 20, 2014
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