BEAVERHEAD TMDL PLANNING AREA OVERVIEW
|
The majority of the Beaverhead TMDL Planning Area (TPA) is located within Beaverhead County, with a small portion in Madison County and includes the towns of Dillon and Twin Bridges. The Beaverhead TPA encompasses the Beaverhead River watershed, which begins at the outlet of the Clark Canyon Reservoir and flows northeast 79.5 miles before joining the Big Hole River to form the Jefferson River. The TPA coincides with the 10020002 fourth-code hydrologic unit code (HUC), and is bounded by the Pioneer Mountains on the west, the Ruby Range to the east, and the Snowcrest Range and Blacktail Mountains to the south.
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has identified 18 streams or assessment units with metal or nutrient water quality impairments in the Beaverhead TPA. They are shown in the table below. The TMDL planning process for this TPA incorporates a combination of water quality sampling and hydrologic modeling to further identify and quantify nutrient and metal contributions from all significant sources.
The table identifies which streams have nutrient and/or metals listed impairments. For complete information on each stream's probable impairment causes and sources, see DEQ's Clean Water Act Information Center. Click on "Search" and then choose the "By Location" tab. Select the TMDL Planning Area (TPA) drop-down list, click on "Beaverhead," and then click "Search."
|
|
PROJECT SCHEDULE FOR NUTRIENT, AND METALS TMDLS
Metals TMDLs for the Beaverhead TMDL Project Area were approved by EPA on September 20, 2020. Links to the final document, appendices, and EPA approval letter can be found on the DEQ website and linked below.
Beaverhead Metals TMDLs – September 2020 (3.23 MB)
|
|
Nutrient TMDLs are currently awaiting development based on listings in the 2018 Integrated Report.
Sediment TMDLs were completed in July of 2012. A temperature TMDL was developed for the lower segment of the Beaverhead River in November of 2014. The final documents can be found on DEQ's Final TMDL Documents webpage (click on the Upper Missouri basin tab).
DEQ has completed several years of water quality sampling for sediment, temperature, nutrients, and metals in cooperation with the Beaverhead Watershed Committee and others. Sediment data can be found in the appendices of the "Beaverhead Sediment Total Maximum Daily Loads and Framework Water Quality Protection Plan" document on our Final TMDL Documents webpage (click on the Upper Missouri basin tab).
Additional data will be provided as Nutrient and Metals TMDLs progress.
|
CONTACTS
|
BEAVERHEAD
TMDL AFFILIATION
|
NAME & EMAIL
|
PHONE
|
|
DEQ Pollutant Project Manager for Metals
|
Christy Meredith
|
(406) 444-6824
|
|
Project Coordinator & Pollutant Project Manager for Nutrients
|
Eric Trum
|
(406) 444-0531
|
