Surface Water Data DescriptionRestoration Planning: The watershed boundaries and watershed areas are probably useful for large-scale planning only. Data Description: Found on the NRIS Mapper page under "Other Data Types," this includes (1) 4th code watershed boundary and watershed area under "Hydrologic Units", (2) location and miles of major perennial streams and stream segments under "Major Streams" and (3) area of lakes and reservoirs under "Major Lakes." All of these can be downloaded from this site as shape files for GIS applications, or can obtained directly from the GIS download site (http://nris.state.mt.us/gis/datalist.html#lw) Additional metadata is available from this site. Restoration Planning: Potentially useful for locations and links to real-time stream conditions during restoration projects. Data Description: This map (NRIS Mapper) currently shows locations of most (but not all) active USGS gauging stations including Blacktail Creek At Butte, Silver Bow Creek below Blacktail Creek, Silver Bow Creek At Opportunity, Silver Bow Creek At Warm Springs, Clark Fork Near Galen, and the Little Blackfoot River Near Garrison. Station locations can be downloaded as a shape file for GIS applications. Clicking on individual stations or on the station list provides a direct link to USGS real-time data for that site (see description below). Note: This map does not include all USGS gauging stations. Missing stations include Warm Springs Creek near Anaconda, Warm Springs Creek at Warm Springs and the Clark Fork River near Deer Lodge. Data for these sites are available at the USGS site (see below). Restoration Planning: Useful for monitoring real-time conditions during implementation of monitoring projects. The flow exceedence table on this page provides important information for designing projects along streams and to identifying critical low and high flows. Data Description: Real-time stream flow data is the default view at station web sites, showing 7-day graphs of gage height, discharge, and for some stations, temperature. The default time interval for real-time observation is 7-days, but can be customized on the web page to view information for up to about 1 month. For location data for each station, go to the site map options from the pull-down menu on the station home page (links below) to obtain gage location, gage datum, watershed area, and period of record. Under the discharge graph is a table showing daily mean flow statistics at that station on that day. The table includes:
Stations with real-time information available include (links go to USGS site):
Quality of Data: Real time stream flow data are provisional. Information on data reliability is available at http://montana.usgs.gov/pub/MT_disclaimer.html Reference: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1123: Stream-Gaging Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. Contact Information: Questions about data can be directed to: gs-w-mt_NWISWeb_Data_Inquiries@usgs.gov Website: http://mt.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt
Restoration Planning: Stream flow data are useful primarily for restoration projects that involve channel design. This flow information is important to designing projects along streams and to identifying critical low and high flows. Data Description: This data can be accessed from the real-time page for individual stations (see description and links above) from a pull-down menu. Options from this menu include:
For location data for each station, go to the site map options from the pull-down menu on the station home page to obtain gage location, gage datum, watershed area, and period of record. The period of record at different stations is variable:
Quality of Data: Information on data reliability is available at http://montana.usgs.gov/pub/MT_disclaimer.html Reference: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1123: Stream-Gaging Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. Contact Information: Questions about data can be directed to: gs-w-mt_NWISWeb_Data_Inquiries@usgs.gov Website: http://mt.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt
Restoration Planning: Water quality is useful primarily as a measure of the efficacy of restoration projects intended to improve water quality. The USGS monitoring data provides a baseline of information before and during remediation. Data Description: This data - water quality, discrete samples - is accessed from the real-time page for individual stations (listed above). You must click on the pull-down menu near the top of the page, and select water quality. You then have the options of specifying the dates you'd like to search for, a list of available parameters, or the data itself. The parameter groups measured at each station are listed below. Not all parameters have been measured at each sampling event for the entire period of record.
Quality of Data: Information on data reliability is available at http://montana.usgs.gov/pub/MT_disclaimer.html Reference: Information on USGS water quality sampling is available here: http://water.usgs.gov/owq/ Contact Information: Questions about data can be directed to: gs-w-mt_NWISWeb_Data_Inquiries@usgs.gov Website: http://mt.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt
Restoration Planning: Water quality is useful primarily as a measure of the efficacy of restoration projects intended to improve water quality. The Tri-State Council monitoring focuses primarily on nutrient parameters. Data Description: The Tri-State Council water quality database
includes Clark Fork data from 1985 to the present. Data were collected by
the Montana Department of Environmental Quality from 1985 to 1996. Sampling was
conducted monthly from 1985 to 1994, went to quarterly sampling from 1994 to
1996, and was terminated from 1996 to 1998. The Tristate Council began sampling
in 1998, and sampling has been monthly for most of the year, and twice monthly
for the summer. Stations include 8 mainstem stations on the upper Clark Fork
(Silver Bow at Butte WWTP, Silver Bow above Warm Springs Ponds, Clark Fork below
Warm Springs Ponds, Clark Fork at Deer Lodge, Clark Fork above the Little
Blackfoot, Clark Fork below Gold Creek, Clark Fork above Rock Creek, Clark Fork
at Turah) and a changing number of tributary stations (but typically, monthly
sampling of Little and Big Blackfoot Rivers, Rock Creek and quarterly
sampling of Flint Creek). Parameters sampled include: temperature, pH, day time
dissolved oxygen, redox, conductivity, total dissolved solids, total N
& P, soluble N & P, certain cations (copper & zinc). A spreadsheet (MS Excel) of database stations and parameters is available here.
The UM Watershed Health Clinic (with funding from the Missoula Water Quality District) has conducted an assessment of non-point nutrient sources in the Upper Clark Fork since 1999, providing summer time monthly nutrient data for several tributaries, including Lost, Racetrack, Dempsey, Gold, Flint, Cottonwood, Peterson and Warm Springs Creek at Phosphate. In 2001, 3 stations on the Little Blackfoot River were sampled (Elliston, Avon & MT12 bridge). These data are available from the UM Watershed Health Clinic. Contact Vicki Watson (406) 243-5153 vicki.watson AT umontana.edu
Data Description: STORET is EPA’s main water-related database. It is intended to store water chemistry, biological and physical habitat data. Ultimately, it is intended to be able to store whole reports (like 319 & TMDL project reports). Querying the system is not a straightforward process and requires station identification numbers that must be obtained from the MT DEQ data manager (see below). The data manager can also provide you with a protocol for accessing data in STORET. Contact
person:
Restoration Planning: Useful for channel design in stream restoration projects. Data Description: "Flood-frequency
data are based on recorded annual peak discharges through 1998. Peak
discharges for specified frequencies (exceedence probabilities) were determined
by fitting a log-Pearson Type 3 probability distribution to base 10 logarithms
of recorded annual peak discharges as described by the Interagency Advisory
Committee on Water Data (1982, Guidelines for Determining Flood Flow
Frequency--Bulletin 17-B of the Hydrology Subcommittee: U.S. Geological Survey,
Office of Water Data Coordination). Note: Data are provisional and user is
responsible for assessment and interpretation of flood-frequency data.
Most of the basin characteristic data were measured in the 1970s from the
best-scale topographic maps available at the time. Some data, such as mean
annual precipitation, soil index data, and mean January minimum temperatures,
were compiled from maps prepared by other agencies. Channel widths were measured
in the field by USGS personnel." For more detailed information contact Charles Parrett: Basin Characteristic data include:
11 Sites include with flood frequency calculations
include: Restoration Planning: This information provides a long-term baseline against which we will be able to measure improvements in water, sediment and benthic metals levels as a result of remediation and restoration. Data Description: "The USGS samples water quality 6-8 times per year at 15 stations from Butte to Missoula, three of which are daily sediment stations. Water samples are analyzed for trace elements and suspended sediment concentration. Bed sediment and biota are sampled once annually and analyzed for trace metals. Annual loads of trace elements and suspended sediment are calculated to determine transport rates under various hydrologic conditions and to identify the most important source areas contributing metal to the river." Not available online: Information on ordering from the USGS is available here. PUBLICATIONS: Lambing, J.H., Hornberger, M.I., Axtmann, E.V., and Pope, D.A., 1994, Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 1992 through September 1993) and statistical summaries of water-quality data (March 1985 through September 1993) for streams in the upper Clark Fork Basin, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 94-375, 85 p. Lambing, J.H., Hornberger, M.I., Axtmann, E.V., and Dodge, K.A., 1995, Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 1993 through September 1994) and statistical summaries of data for streams in the upper Clark Fork Basin, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-429, 104 p. Dodge, K.A., Hornberger, M.I., and Axtmann, E.V., 1996, Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 1994 through September 1995) and statistical summaries of data for streams in the upper Clark Fork basin, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-432, 109 p. Dodge, K.A., Hornberger, M.I., and Axtmann, E.V., 1997, Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 1995 through September 1996) and statistical summaries of data for streams in the upper Clark Fork basin, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-552, 91 p. Dodge, K.A., Hornberger, M.I., and Axtmann, E.V., 1998, Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 1996 through September 1997) and statistical summaries of data for streams in the upper Clark Fork basin, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-407, 102 p. Dodge, K.A., Hornberger, M.I., and Bouse, R.M., 1999, Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 1997 through September 1998) and statistical summaries of data for streams in the upper Clark Fork basin, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-251, 102 p. Dodge, K.A., Hornberger, M.I., and David, C.P.C., 2000, Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 1998 through September 1999) and statistical summaries of data for streams in the upper Clark Fork basin, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-370, 102 p. Dodge, K.A., Hornberger, M.I., and David, C.P.C., 2001, Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 1999 through September 2000) and statistical summaries of data for streams in the upper Clark Fork basin, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-______ (in review) Hornberger, M.I., Lambing, J.H., Luoma, S.N., and Axtmann, E.V., 1997, Spatial and temporal trends of trace metals in surface water, bed sediment, and biota of the upper Clark Fork basin, Montana, 1985-95: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-669, 84 p. Lambing, J.H., 1998, Estimated 1996-97 and long-term average annual loads for suspended sediment and selected trace metals in streamflow of the upper Clark Fork basin from Warm Springs to Missoula, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4137, 35 p.
University
of Montana Geology Department Theses - Surface and groundwater in the Upper
Clark Fork Basin (Not available on-line - UM theses can be borrowed from the Mansfield
Library) BROOK, EDWARD J. M.S. 1988
Particle-size and chemical control of BROOKS, REBEKAH
M.S.
1988 Distribution
and concentration of metals UDALOY, ANNE G. M.S.
1988
Arsenic mobilization in response to the NIMICK, DAVID A. M.S.
1990
Stratigraphy and Chemistry of Metal- KUZEL, LAURA S.
M.S.
1993
The Role of Fe and Mn Oxy-hydroxides in BENNER, SHAWN G.
M.S.
1994
Geochemical Processes in a Transition Zone BOGGS, SALLY J.
M.S.
1994
Temporal and Spatial Variability of Metal HELGEN, STEVEN O. M.S.
1995
Natural Background Determination and Impact
Quantification in Trace Metal Contaminated
River Sediments
SMART, ERIC W.
M.S. 1995
Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction
In
a Shallow Unconfined Alluvial Aquifer LUCY, JULIETTE K. M.S.
1996 BRICK, CHRISTINE
Ph.D. 1996
Temporal Variation of Oxide and Trace Metals
in the Upper Clark Fork River, Montana DRAKE, GLENNA J. M.S.
1997
Long Term Variability of Trace Metal Concentrations
and Carbon-Metal Relationships in LANDRIGAIN, ELIZABETH M.
M.S.
1997 The Effect of
Fine-Grained Sediment Remobilization
on Metal Concentrations: A Study of SHAY, DEVIN T.
M.S.
1997
An Investigation of the Hydrogeology and
Geochemistry of a Floodplain Aquifer System NAGORSKI, SONIA A.
M.S.
1997 Impacts
by Acidic, Metals-Rich Groundwater on
the Hyporheic Zone of an Intermontane CASTRO, JAMES M. Ph.D.
1998 Pit
Lakes: Their Geochemistry and the Potential
for their Remediation MICKEY, JEREMY W. M.S.
1998
The Effects of Discharge Variation on Dissolved
Element Concentrations through Breuninger,
Anna B. M.S.
2000 McKinnon,
Temple E. M.S.
2001
Sources and Seasonal Variability of Metal and
Arsenic Concentrations in the Surface
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