Project Overview
The Montana DEQ is conducting water quality studies in the Tongue River watershed, within the portion of the watershed located in the state of Montana (Map 1). This page contains information on a salinity project on the Tongue River itself. Additionally, two projects are taking place within the Otter Creek drainage (an iron TMDL and also development of site-specific salinity standards), and related information can be found on the Otter Creek pages.
Map 1: Location of the Tongue River Watershed
(Click on map to enlarge)
Tongue River
Photo credit: U.S. EPA, Montana Operations Office
(Click on picture to enlarge)
Why is DEQ Interested in the Tongue River Watershed?
Montana DEQ, in consultation with the Statewide Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Advisory Group, has determined that salinity total maximum daily load development for the Tongue River is a high priority due to the importance of the Tongue River as an irrigation resource, along with a high level of stakeholder interest and concerns regarding ongoing and planned energy development projects. Additionally, the water quality data needed to complete this project has already been collected, and there is a salinity project in a major tributary (Otter Creek) also in progress. Significant work occurred on this project in the early 2000s, led by the Montana Operations Office of the U.S. EPA, and DEQ is building upon that work. Future water quality projects will occur to address other identified pollution problems for the Tongue River, Tongue River Reservoir, and tributaries to the Tongue River (Table 1 below).
What is DEQ’s Water Quality Planning Process?
The state of Montana has established water quality standards for pollutants that may enter and harm our streams, rivers, and lakes. The standards are set to protect beneficial uses that the state has designated for each waterbody; these may include drinking water, recreational uses, agricultural uses, industrial uses, and support of aquatic life. DEQ collects water quality data and compares that data to the water quality standards. Waterbodies that do not meet the standards are determined to be impaired. DEQ then develops solutions for restoring full support of the waterbody’s designated uses. A salinity impairment in the Tongue River is the focus of the project discussed on this page.
Tongue River Project Boundaries and Project Focus
The Tongue River forms in the Big Horn Mountains, west of Sheridan, Wyoming, flows across the Wyoming-Montana state border near Decker, and ends at its confluence with the Yellowstone River in Miles City, Montana (Map 1 above).
The portion of the Tongue River within the state of Montana is divided into seven segments, which are referred to as water quality assessment units (Map 2, Table 1). Montana DEQ is currently evaluating salinity conditions in the lowermost portion of the Tongue River (from the Twelve Mile Dam to the Tongue’s confluence with the Yellowstone River; assessment unit MT42C001_011) and will be developing a TMDL for salinity for this segment of the river. Work on this project began in the early 2000s, and is expected to be complete in late 2017 or early 2018.
Map 2: Segments of the Tongue River (Water Quality Assessment Units)*
(Click on map to enlarge)
*Assessment units (locations of segment breaks) are determined by Montana DEQ
This project takes the entire area of the watershed into account for determining the sources of salt to the river; however, only the lowermost segment of the river is identified as impaired for salinity, and therefore the TMDL is being developed for only that segment of the Tongue River (Map 2, Table 1). DEQ is developing a water quality model for the Tongue River that will be used for source assessments. The Tongue River Salinity Model page provides the definition of salinity and information specific to how the model is being used. Information on Montana’s salinity water quality standards is contained on the Tongue River TMDL page.
Table 1: Water Quality Impairments for the Tongue River, Tongue River Reservoir, and Tributaries
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Waterbody Segment
(Click Name to View Assessment Record)
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Assessment Unit ID
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County
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Probable Impairment Causes (2016)1
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Tongue River (Click here for an interactive map of all segments)
|
|
Tongue River
Wyoming border to Wyoming border
|
MT42B001_011
|
Big Horn
|
None identified
|
|
Tongue River
Wyoming border to Tongue River Reservoir
|
MT42B001_010
|
Big Horn
|
Iron
Low flow alterations
|
|
Tongue River
Tongue River Dam to Prairie Dog Creek
|
MT42B001_020
|
Big Horn,
Rosebud
|
Low flow alterations
|
|
Tongue River
Prairie Dog Creek to Hanging Woman Creek
|
MT42B001_021
|
Rosebud
|
Low flow alterations
|
|
Tongue River
Hanging Woman Creek to Beaver Creek
|
MT42C001_013
|
Rosebud
|
Iron
Low flow alterations
Solids (Suspended-Bedload)
|
|
Tongue River
Beaver Creek to Twelve mile Dam, T6N, R48E, S29
|
MT42C001_014
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Rosebud,
Custer
|
Iron
Low flow alterations
Solids (Suspended-Bedload)
|
|
Tongue River
Twelve Mile Dam to mouth (Yellowstone River)
|
MT42C001_011
|
Custer
|
Cadmium
Copper
Iron
Lead
Low flow alterations
Nickel
Salinity
Solids (Suspended-Bedload)
Sulfates
Zinc
|
|
Tongue River Reservoir
|
|
Tongue River Reservoir
|
MT42B003_010
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Big Horn
|
Chlorophyll-a
Dissolved oxygen
Solids (Suspended-Bedload)
|
|
Tongue River Tributaries (Click here for an interactive map of all segments)
|
|
Hanging Woman Creek
Wyoming border to Stroud Creek
|
MT42B002_032
|
Big Horn,
Rosebud
|
Salinity
|
|
Hanging Woman Creek
Stroud Creek to mouth (Tongue River)
|
MT42B002_031
|
Rosebud
|
Iron
Salinity
Sedimentation/Siltation
|
|
Otter Creek 2
Headwaters to mouth (Tongue River)
|
MT42C002_020
|
Powder River,
Rosebud
|
Iron
Salinity
|
|
Pumpkin Creek
Headwaters to Little Pumpkin Creek
|
MT42C002_061
|
Powder River
|
Salinity
Temperature
|
|
Pumpkin Creek
Little Pumpkin Creek to the mouth (Tongue River)
|
MT42C002_062
|
Powder River,
Custer
|
Salinity
Temperature
|
|
1 Impairment causes identified in Montana’s 2016 Water Quality Integrated Report
2 A draft iron TMDL document has been completed; site-specific salinity standards for Otter Creek are under development. See the Otter Creek pages for additional information.
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Tongue River Project Contacts
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Role
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DEQ Contact
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Email
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Phone
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Project Coordinator
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Christina Staten
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CStaten@mt.gov
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(406) 444-2836
|
|
Project Modeler
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Erik Makus
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EMakus@mt.gov
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(406) 444-2459
|
|
Salinity TMDL Project Manager
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Dean Yashan
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DYashan@mt.gov
|
(406) 444-5317
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See the Tongue River Watershed Project Contacts page for a full description of each project team member's role and for a list of additional contacts.
Page Released: July 6, 2016
Last Updated: July 18, 2016
