Title
Flow-related Water Quality Impairments in the Clark Fork and Kootenai Basins
Abstract
As in most western states, ‘water is for fighting over’ in Montana. Population growth, energy development and climate change all contribute to increased scarcity of this resource. And increasingly, the connection between water quality and water quantity is being recognized as it was in the recently released Montana state water plan. Unfortunately, water quality and water quantity are managed by different agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) list many streams as impaired (unable to support their beneficial uses) due to insufficient flows. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) also lists streams as Chronically or Acutely Dewatered on the basis of fish habitat suitability. However, it is the Montana Department of Natural Resources (DNRC) that actually allocates water rights and regulates use.
DEQ records indicate that 1086 miles of streams (24% of assessed stream miles) are impaired by insufficient flow in the Clark Fork & Kootenai basins. In addition, many other types of impairment are exacerbated by low flows (including temperature, dissolved oxygen, metals, and nutrient pollution). Along with low flows, these types of impairments affect 2356 miles of streams (52% of assessed stream miles) in these basins. Many TMDLs and Water Quality Restoration Plans indicate that low flows due to high consumptive use contribute to these impairments.
Strategies to improve water quality by reducing consumptive use and restoring flows include: switching to crops that require less water; drought management plans in which users stagger water use; retiring irrigated crop land with low productivity; water leasing and purchase for instream flows. While basin closures help to prevent worsening water quality, they cannot correct existing problems. And basin closures are not imposed for water quality reasons, but because more withdrawals would affect other consumptive water users.
DEQ, DNRC and DFWP should cooperate on identifying and funding high priority projects for water quality improvement through flow restoration.
Start Date
24-4-2015 12:00 PM
End Date
24-4-2015 2:00 PM
Document Type
Poster
Flow-related Water Quality Impairments in the Clark Fork and Kootenai Basins
As in most western states, ‘water is for fighting over’ in Montana. Population growth, energy development and climate change all contribute to increased scarcity of this resource. And increasingly, the connection between water quality and water quantity is being recognized as it was in the recently released Montana state water plan. Unfortunately, water quality and water quantity are managed by different agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) list many streams as impaired (unable to support their beneficial uses) due to insufficient flows. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) also lists streams as Chronically or Acutely Dewatered on the basis of fish habitat suitability. However, it is the Montana Department of Natural Resources (DNRC) that actually allocates water rights and regulates use.
DEQ records indicate that 1086 miles of streams (24% of assessed stream miles) are impaired by insufficient flow in the Clark Fork & Kootenai basins. In addition, many other types of impairment are exacerbated by low flows (including temperature, dissolved oxygen, metals, and nutrient pollution). Along with low flows, these types of impairments affect 2356 miles of streams (52% of assessed stream miles) in these basins. Many TMDLs and Water Quality Restoration Plans indicate that low flows due to high consumptive use contribute to these impairments.
Strategies to improve water quality by reducing consumptive use and restoring flows include: switching to crops that require less water; drought management plans in which users stagger water use; retiring irrigated crop land with low productivity; water leasing and purchase for instream flows. While basin closures help to prevent worsening water quality, they cannot correct existing problems. And basin closures are not imposed for water quality reasons, but because more withdrawals would affect other consumptive water users.
DEQ, DNRC and DFWP should cooperate on identifying and funding high priority projects for water quality improvement through flow restoration.