Madison River Watershed


 

Madison TMDL Development Homepage     Madison Project Outreach

 

Page Contents:



 

Madison Project Area Location

The Madison River originates in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming at the confluence of the Gibbon and Firehole rivers, and flows to its confluence with the Gallatin and Jefferson rivers in Three Forks, Montana to form the Missouri River. The Madison Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Project Area, however, does not include the portion of the watershed within Yellowstone National Park and Wyoming. The project area includes the watersheds of the tributary streams draining directly to the Madison River and encompasses approximately 2,583 square miles (1,653,311 acres). The project area is in western Montana, and includes portions of Madison and Gallatin counties (Figure 1).

 

Map of Madison River Watershed

Figure 1: Location of the Madison River Watershed

(click on map to enlarge)

 

 

West Fork of the Madison River (click on image to enlarge)

 

O'Dell Spring Creek (click on image to enlarge)

 

 

Madison TMDL Documents

 

Nutrient, E.coli, and Metals TMDLs

 

TMDL Document

Waterbody & Location Description

Assessment Unit ID

Nutrient TMDL(s)

E.coli TMDL

Metal TMDL(s)

2019 Madison Nutrient, E. coli, and Metal TMDLs

 

Found at:

https://deq.mt.gov/water/Programs/sw

 

Elk Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F002_020

Total Nitrogen

Total Phosphorus

--

Iron,

Selenium

Hot Springs Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F002_030

Total Nitrogen

Total Phosphorus

--

Iron,

Lead

Moore Creek,

Springs to mouth (Fletcher Channel), T5S R1W S15

MT41F004_130

Total Nitrogen

Total Phosphorus

E.coli

--

O’Dell Spring Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F004_020

Total Nitrogen

--

--

South Meadow Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Ennis Lake) 

MT41F004_070

Total Nitrogen

Total Phosphorus

--

Copper

 

Sediment and Temperature TMDLs

 

TMDL Document

Waterbody & Location Description

Assessment Unit ID

Sediment

TMDL Written

Temperature

TMDL Written

Non-Pollutant Impairment Discussed in TMDL Document

2020 Madison Sediment and Temperature TMDLs and Water Quality Improvement Plan

 

Found at:

https://deq.mt.gov/water/Programs/sw  

Antelope Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Cliff Lake)

MT41F004_140

X

 

X

Bear Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (O’Dell Spring Creek)

MT41F004_021

X

 

 

Blaine Spring Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River, T7S R1W S6)

MT41F004_010

X

 

X

Cherry Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F002_010

X

X

 

Elk Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F002_020

X

X

X

Hot Springs Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F002_030

X

 

X

Indian Creek,

Lee Metcalf Wilderness boundary to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F004_040

 

 

X

Jack Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River, T5S R1W S23)

MT41F004_050

 

 

X

Moore Creek,

Springs to mouth (Fletcher Channel), T5S R1W S15

MT41F004_130

X

X

X

North Meadow Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Ennis Lake)

MT41F004_060

X

 

X

O’Dell Spring Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F004_020

 

 

X

Red Canyon Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Hebgen Lake)

MT41F006_020

X

 

X

Ruby Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F004_080

X

 

X

South Meadow Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Ennis Lake)

MT41F004_070

X

 

 

Watkins Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Hebgen Lake)

MT41F006_030

X

 

X

Wigwam Creek,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F004_160

X

 

 

West Fork Madison River,

Headwaters to mouth (Madison River)

MT41F004_100

 

See Footnote 1

 

“X” = a TMDL was written or a non-pollutant impairment is discussed in the TMDL document.

1. The West Fork Madison River is discussed in Appendix H of the TMDL document, but does not have any TMDLs

 

 

Stream Summaries

 

Document

Streams Included

Document Description

Madison Watershed Stream Summaries 2020

 

Found at:

https://deq.mt.gov/water/Programs/sw 

  • Antelope Creek
  • Bear Creek
  • Blaine Spring Creek
  • Buford Creek
  • Cherry Creek
  • Elk Creek
  • Elk River
  • Gazelle Creek
  • Hot Springs Creek
  • Indian Creek
  • Jack Creek
  • Moore Creek
  • North Meadow Creek
  • O’Dell Spring Creek
  • Red Canyon Creek
  • Ruby Creek
  • South Meadow Creek
  • Watkins Creek
  • West Fork Madison River
  • Wigwam Creek

Summaries of the conditions of streams monitored by DEQ between 2013 and 2015 for sediment, temperature, and related pollution problems. Each summary provides a description of water quality problems, achievable solutions to those problems, and possible restoration project locations.

 

The document is also intended to assist local entities with development of a watershed restoration plan (See the 2020 Madison sediment and temperature TMDL document linked above or DEQ’s website for additional information on WRP development: https://deq.mt.gov/water/Programs/sw).

 

 


 

Madison TMDL Project Contacts

Role

Contact

Organization

Email

Phone

Project Coordinator

Christina Staten,

Water Quality Specialist

Montana DEQ

CStaten@mt.gov

(406) 444-2836

Nutrients, Pathogens, and Metals TMDL Project Manager

Lou Volpe,

Water Quality Specialist

Montana DEQ

LVolpe@mt.gov

(406) 444-6742

Sediment and Temperature TMDL Project Manager

Christy Meredith,

Water Quality Specialist

Montana DEQ

Christy.Meredith@mt.gov

(406) 444-6824

Local coordinator for watershed restoration plan development and volunteer monitoring

David Laufenberg

Conservation Programs Manager

Madison Conservation District

david@madisoncd.org

(406) 682-3181

 


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Page Released: July 23, 2018

Last Updated: November 02, 2021