Completed TMDLs in the Blackfoot River Watershed
Project Outreach
Page Contents:
Project Area Location & Included Streams
The Blackfoot Watershed TMDL project area encompasses the entire Blackfoot River watershed. The watershed lies in west central Montana, spanning portions of Lewis and Clark, Powell, and Missoula counties, and includes the communities of Lincoln, Helmville, Ovando, Clearwater, Greenough, and Potomac. The Blackfoot River forms northeast of Lincoln and flows westward until it joins the Clark Fork River near the towns of Milltown and Bonner, MT.
Previous TMDL work has been completed in the Blackfoot River watershed, with 124 TMDLs written collectively in 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2009. For prior TMDL planning purposes, the watershed was divided into four TMDL planning areas: Blackfoot Headwaters, Middle Blackfoot, Lower Blackfoot, and Nevada Creek (see Map 1 below). Previous TMDL work was completed in each of these planning areas at varying stages, and documents were published accordingly. The Completed TMDLs in the Blackfoot River Watershed page contains a list of completed documents and the TMDLs they contain.
There are an additional 24 impairments throughout the watershed that have not been addressed and require TMDL assessment work (see Table 1 and Map 1 below). To increase program efficiency, this project includes all remaining impairments requiring a TMDL and encompasses all four TMDL planning areas. For correlation purposes, the table below categorizes waterbodies by their applicable TMDL planning area.
Map 1: Blackfoot Watershed TMDL Project Area
[Click on map to enlarge]
Map 1 shows the Blackfoot River watershed divided into the Blackfoot Headwaters (gray shaded area), Nevada Creek (tan shaded area), Middle Blackfoot (light green shaded area), and Lower Blackfoot (pink shaded area) TMDL planning areas. Together, they compose the Blackfoot Watershed TMDL Project Area.
Table 1: Waterbodies & Pollutant Impairment Causes in the Blackfoot River Watershed Included in this Project & TMDLs Written
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TMDL PLANNING AREA
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STREAM &
LOCATION DESCRIPTION
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METALS
IMPAIRMENTS
|
NUTRIENT
IMPAIRMENTS 1
|
SEDIMENT
IMPAIRMENTS
|
TEMPERATURE
IMPARIMENTS
|
|
Blackfoot Headwaters
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Sandbar Creek
Forks to mouth (Willow Creek)
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Nevada Creek
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Douglas Creek
Headwaters to Murray Creek
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Douglas Creek
Murray Creek to the mouth (Nevada – Cottonwood Creeks)
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Nevada Creek
Headwaters to Nevada Lake
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Nevada Lake
Reservoir of Nevada Creek
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Murray Creek
Headwaters to mouth (Douglas Creek)
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Middle Blackfoot
|
Blackfoot River
Nevada Creek to Monture Creek
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
Blackfoot River
Monture Creek to Belmont Creek
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
Kleinschmidt Creek
1.5 miles upstream to mouth (North Fork Blackfoot River)
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Lower Blackfoot
|
Blackfoot River
Belmont Creek to mouth (Clark Fork River)
|
|
Included in project; No TMDL written 2
|
|
|
|
Camas Creek
1 mile above mouth to the mouth (Union Creek)
|
|
TN, TP TMDLs Written
|
|
|
|
East Fork Ashby Creek
Headwaters to mouth (Ashby Creek)
|
|
Included in project; No TMDL written 2
|
|
|
|
Elk Creek
Headwaters to Stinkwater Creek
|
X
|
NO3, TP TMDLs Written
|
|
|
|
Union Creek
Headwaters to mouth (Blackfoot River)
|
X
|
TN, TP TMDLs Written
|
|
|
|
Washoe Creek
Headwaters to mouth (Union Creek)
|
|
TN, TP TMDLs Written
|
|
|
|
West Fork Ashby Creek
Headwaters to mouth (East Fork Ashby Creek)
|
|
TP TMDL Written
|
|
|
|
1. TN = Total Nitrogen, NO3 = Nitrate, TP = Total Phosphorus
2. The waterbody was on the 2012 303(d) List with an identified nutrient impairment and was included in the nutrients portion of this project. A nutrient TMDL was not written because an updated water quality assessment in 2013 determined the waterbody was not impaired for a nutrient.
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For complete information on each stream’s probable impairments, causes, and sources, and to view full water quality assessment reports, see DEQ’s Clean Water Act Information Center and search by the applicable TMDL planning area name (Click on “Search,” choose the "By Location" tab, and then select the applicable planning area from the TMDL Planning Area (TPA) drop down list).
Project Plans & Schedule
This project involves work in all four of the TMDL planning areas in the Blackfoot River watershed (see Map 1 above). Metals, sediment, and temperature TMDLs resulting from this project are being published as addendums to existing documents (see these pollutant sections below for additonal details and the Completed TMDLs in the Blackfoot River Watershed page for a list of completed documents); however the nutrient TMDLs are being published in a new document. All TMDLs for this project are scheduled to be complete before the end of 2014. For project status updates and information on stakeholder and public meetings, see the Blackfoot Watershed TMDL Project Outreach page.
Metals TMDLs
One high-flow (June) and one low-flow (July) water quality sampling event for metals took place in the Nevada Creek and Middle Blackfoot planning areas this year (2013). All metals impaired streams in these planning areas (see Table 1 above and Maps 2 and 3 below) were sampled. A table and map of locations can be found in the 2013 metals sampling and analysis plan (1.76 MB) (note that this SAP also includes other TMDL project areas). These streams are currently being assessed for impairment, following DEQ's Metals Assessment Method, and TMDLs will only be written for streams determined to be impaired. Metals TMDLs for these areas are being published as an addendum to the Middle Blackfoot – Nevada Creek TMDL document that was completed in 2008 (see the Completed TMDLs in the Blackfoot River Watershed page). Note that we are not revising previously completed TMDLs; only completing new TMDLs.
Map 2: TMDLs to be Completed in the Blackfoot Headwaters, Middle Blackfoot, & Nevada Creek TMDL Planning Areas
[Click on map to enlarge]
Data was collected in the Lower Blackfoot planning area over the last few years that indicate Elk and Union creeks may not be impaired for metals. No further sampling is planned in this area, and metals TMDLs are not anticipated for the streams in the Lower Blackfoot TMDL Planning Area.
Map 3: TMDLs to be Completed in the Lower Blackfoot TMDL Planning Area
[Click on map to enlarge]
Nutrient TMDLs
Nutrient TMDL Document
The "Lower Blackfoot Nutrients TMDLs and Water Quality Improvement Plan" was approved by EPA in September of 2013. The final document is available on DEQ's Final TMDL Documents webpage. Copies of the document are also available at the Seeley Lake public library (456 Airport Rd, Seeley Lake) and the Blackfoot Challenge office (405 Main St., Ovando). Responses to public comments are contained in Section 9.2 of the document.
A public meeting was held Thursday, July 18 at 7 p.m. at the Potomac Community Center. Paul Kusnierz gave a presentation and discussed the draft document. The presentation is available on the Project Outreach page, and the public notice is still available with additional meeting details. Contact Paul with any questions at: pkusnierz@mt.gov or 444-4205.
Nutrient Water Quality Sampling Information
One high-flow (early July) and two low-flow (August and September) sampling events took place in the Lower Blackfoot TMDL planning area in 2012. All nutrient-impaired tributaries, with the exception of Union Creek, were sampled (see Table 1 and Map 3 above). Sufficient data existed for Union Creek and additional samples were not collected. A table and map of sampling locations can be found in the 2012 Lower Blackfoot River tributaries nutrient sampling and analysis plan. A spreadsheet of the 2012 data (~0.8 MB) is also available (a new window will appear and you must click on "Download" to view the spreadsheet. The word is in black letters against a dark blue background next to "View," and may be hard to see). The data is also available in PDF format (0.1 MB).
The Blackfoot River was listed as impaired for ammonia on the 2012 303(d) list, however the impairment was reassessed in 2013 and the river was determined not be impaired for ammonia and an ammonia TMDL was not written. Sufficient ammonia data had previously been collected and the river was not included in the 2012 sampling effort. Additionally, the impairment on the Blackfoot River was linked to the sediments from the reservoir, and those sediments have been excavated.
Sediment TMDLs
Sandbar Creek and Nevada Lake are impaired for sediment (see Map 2 above). Sufficient data exists for these waterbodies, therefore additional data is not being collected. The Sandbar Creek sediment TMDL is being written as an addendum to the 2004 "Blackfoot Headwaters Water Quality and Habitat Restroation Plan and TMDL for Sediment," whereas the Nevada Lake sediment TMDL will be an addendum to the Middle Blackfoot – Nevada Creek TMDL document that was completed in 2008 (see the Completed TMDLs in the Blackfoot River Watershed page). Because the TMDLs are being produced in separate documents, they have separate project managers (see the Project Contacts table below). Both addendums are scheduled to be available for public comment in 2014. Please note that we are not revising previous TMDLs; only completing new TMDLs.
Temperature TMDLs
Two sections of the Blackfoot River are identified as impaired for temperature (see Maps 2 and 3 above). Sufficient temperature data exists for the river and additional data was not collected during this project. These TMDLs are being written as an addendum to the Middle Blackfoot - Nevada Creek TMDL document that was completed in 2008 (see the Completed TMDLs in the Blackfoot River Watershed page). The addendum will also include the metals TMDLs discussed above and the sediment TMDL for Nevada Lake. The adendum is scheduled to be available for public comment in 2014.
The draft temperature TMDLs (~0.7 MB) for the middle segments of the Blackfoot River are available for watershed advisory group review and comment until Friday, April 18. Please submit comments to Paul Kusnierz at pkusnierz@mt.gov. Contact Paul at (406) 444-4205 if you have questions.
Project Contacts
|
Project Member
|
Role / Organization
|
Email
|
Phone
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| Peter Brumm (EPA) |
Metals Project Manager,
Nevada Lake Sediment Project Manager
|
brumm.peter@epa.gov |
(406) 457-5029
|
| Dean Yashan (DEQ) |
Sandbar Creek Sediment Project Manager |
dyashan@mt.gov |
(406) 444-5317 |
|
Paul Kusnierz (DEQ)
|
Lower Blackfoot Nutrients Project Manager,
Blackfoot River Temperature Project Manager
|
pkusnierz@mt.gov |
(406) 444-4205
|
| Jennifer Schoonen |
Blackfoot Challenge
blackfootchallenge.org
|
jennifer@blackfootchallenge.org
|
(406) 793-3900 or
(406) 549-2502
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Page Released: June 22, 2012
Last Updated: March 19, 2014
