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Boulder-Elkhorn TMDL Planning Area home

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Boulder-Elkhorn TMDL Planning Area

 

 

OVERVIEW

Stream Name

Nutrient

Listings

Metals

Listings

Sediment

Listings

Temperature

Listings

Basin Creek

 

X

X

 

Big Limber Gulch

 

X

 

 

Bison Creek

X

X

 

 

Boulder River

(Headwaters to Basin Creek)

 

X

 

 

Boulder River

(Basin Creek to the Town of Boulder) 

 

 

 

Boulder River 

(Town of Boulder to Cottonwood Creek)

 

X

X

X

Boulder River

(Cottonwood Creek to the mouth) 

 

X

X

X

Cataract Creek

X

X

X

 

Elkhorn Creek

 

X

X

 

High Ore Creek

 

X

X

X

Little Boulder River

 

X

 

 

North Fork Little Boulder River

X

 

X

 

Lowland Creek

 

X

 

 

McCarty Creek

X

 

X

 

Muskrat Creek

 

X

 

 

Nursery Creek

X

 

X

 

Uncle Sam Gulch

X

X

X

 

The Boulder-Elkhorn TMDL Planning Area (TPA) is completely contained within Jefferson County and includes the towns of Basin, Boulder, and Elkhorn, and the Elk Park area. It encompasses the entire Boulder River watershed from its headwaters to the confluence with the Jefferson River at Cardwell. The TPA coincides with the 1002006 fourth-code hydrologic unit code (HUC), and is bounded by the continental divide on the west, the Elkhorn Mountains to the north, and Bull Mountain to the southwest. "Elkhorn" is included in the TPA name to differentiate between the Boulder River watershed near Big Timber, MT.

 

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has identified 14 streams with water quality impairments in the Boulder-Elkhorn TPA. They are shown in both the table to the right and the map below. Impairments include nutrients, metals, sediment, and temperature. The TMDL planning process for this TPA incorporates a combination of water quality sampling and hydrologic modeling to further identify and quantify nutrient, metal, sediment, and temperature contributions from all significant sources.

 

The table identifies which streams have nutrients, metals, and/or sediment listed impairments. For complete information on each stream's probable impairment causes and sources, see DEQ's Clean Water Act Information Center. For the most current information, click on "Begin Search" and then select "Boulder-Elkhorn" in the TMDL Planning Area drop down list under Step 2. You do not need to select anything else in Step 1 or Step 2.

 

 

 

 

PROJECT SCHEDULE FOR NUTRIENT, METAL, SEDIMENT, AND TEMPERATURE TMDLS

To better assess the above listed impairments and to help determine sources of these impairments, muliptle rounds of nutrients and metals sampling was conducted in the watershed, along with sediment and temperature monitoring. Water quality sampling for both nutrients and metals was conducted in 2009 and 2010, with additional sampling of five sites in 2011. Sediment and streambank erosion assessments were performed in 2010 on the Boulder River and several of its tributaries. Temperature and shade data was collected over the summer of 2010 for the Boulder River. Data and resulting source assessment reports are posted on the Boulder Elkhorn Documents page.

 

Metals TMDLs were completed in December 2012. They can be found in the "Boulder-Elkhorn Metals TMDLs and Framework Water Quality Improvement Plan" on DEQ's website at http://deq.mt.gov/wqinfo/TMDL/finalReports.mcpx. Nutrients, sediment, and temperature TMDLs are scheduled to be complete mid 2013.  Check the Project Outreach page for project status updates and meeting announcements. Copies of presentations from past advisory group meetings can also be found on this page. 

 

BOULDER-ELKHORN PLANS, DOCUMENTS, & PHOTOS 

 

Water Quality Sampling Data & Documents:

The 2009 and 2010 nutrients and metals sampling and anlaysis plans (SAPs) are posted on the Boulder Elkhorn Documents page. The SAPs show all sampling locations and the parameters collected at those locations. All sampling results are also posted. Photos of some of the metals and nutrients sampling locations can be seen on the Boulder Elkhorn Photos page. Reports of the sediment and temperature data collection activities and assessments are also posted on the Boulder Elkhorn Documents page.

 

TMDL Documents:

TMDLs for this project are being published in two separate documents. Metals TMDLs are contained in one document and were approved by EPA on December 20, 2012. The final "Boulder-Elkhorn Metals TMDLs and Framework Water Quality Improvement Plan" can be found on our website at: http://deq.mt.gov/wqinfo/TMDL/finalReports.mcpx. A public meeting to review the document and answer questions was held Monday, November 26, 2012 at City Hall in Boulder. A copy of the presentation given at this meeting can be found on the Project Outreach page.

 

 The public comment period for the "Sediment, Nutrients, and Temperature TMDLs and Water Quality Improvement Plans for the Boulder-Elkhorn Planning Area" closed Friday, July 12, 2013. DEQ is currently reviewing comments. Final edits will be made and the document will be submitted to the U.S. EPA for approval. Once approved, the final document will be posted on DEQ's website at: http://deq.mt.gov/wqinfo/TMDL/finalReports.mcpx. Copies will also be sent to the Helena, Boulder, and Butte public libraries. A public meeting was held Thursday, June 27 at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Boulder. The presentation given at the meeting can be found on the project outreach page. Please contact Christina Staten with questions (cstaten@mt.gov, 444-2836).

 

BOULDER-ELKHORN ADVISORY GROUP PAGE

This pages lists the members of the Boulder-Elkhorn TMDL Watershed Advisory Group (WAG) and Technical Advisory Group (TAG). 

Boulder Elkhorn Advisory Groups  

 

 

CONTACTS

BOULDER-ELKHORN

TMDL AFFILIATION

NAME/EMAIL PHONE

Project Coordinator

Christina Staten (406) 444-2836
Metals Project Manager* Dean Yashan (406) 444-5317
Nutrients Project Manager Lou Volpe (406) 444-6742

Sediment & Temperature

Project Manager

Jim Bond (406) 444-3548
Jefferson Valley Conservation District Kris Hugulet (406) 287-7875

* Tim Byron, the previous metals project manager, retired on Nov 30, 2012. Dean is the DEQ TMDL section supervisor.

 


Page Released: August 27, 2009

Last Updated: July 15, 2013