Water Resources of Montana

USGS Montana Highlights

Water Data Reports (Quick look:
Beginning with water year 2006, the annual water data product took on a new format different from the previous report series. The basic product is a Site Data Sheet that serves to publish all data collected during the water year at any given site. For more information about this topic, click now.)

Beginning with water year 2006, the annual water data product took on a new format different from the previous report series. The basic product is a Site Data Sheet that serves to publish all data collected during the water year at any given site in the United States. The 2006, 2007 and 2008 USGS Water Data Reports are available online and improve on the previous online reports with a new interactive feature designed to make site data retrieval easier and more convenient. Access the Water Data Report here () or use the map () interface.

Estimation of Streamflow Characteristics

Estimation of Streamflow Characteristics for Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, Northeastern Montana The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge encompasses about 1.1 million acres (including Fort Peck Reservoir on the Missouri River) in northeastern Montana. To ensure that sufficient streamflow remains in the tributary streams to maintain the riparian corridors, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is negotiating water-rights issues with the Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission of Montana. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, conducted a study to gage, for a short period, selected streams that cross CMR, and analyze data to estimate long-term streamflow characteristics for CMR. The long-term streamflow characteristics of primary interest include the monthly and annual 90-, 80-, 50-, and 20-percent exceedance streamflows and mean streamflows (Q.90, Q.80, Q.50, Q.20, and QM, respectively), and the 1.5-, 2-, and 2.33- year peak flows (PK1.5, PK2, and PK2.33, respectively)..

Annual Clark Fork data report

Water-Quality, Bed-Sediment, and Biological Data This report presents the analytical results and quality assurance data for water-quality, bed-sediment, and biota samples collected at all long-term and supplemental monitoring sites from October 2007 through September 2008. Water-quality data include concentrations of selected major ions, trace elements, and suspended sediment. Turbidity was analyzed for water samples collected at sites where seasonal daily values of turbidity were being determined and at Clark Fork above Missoula. Nutrients also were analyzed at all the supplemental water-quality sites, except for Clark Fork Bypass, near Bonner. Daily values of suspended-sediment concentration and suspended-sediment discharge were determined for four sites, and seasonal daily values of turbidity were determined for four sites. Bed-sediment data include trace-element concentrations in the fine-grained fraction. Biological data include trace-element concentrations in whole-body tissue of aquatic benthic insects. Statistical summaries of long-term water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data for sites in the upper Clark Fork basin are provided for the period of record since 1985. This data collection was conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Featured Project

Clark Fork Water-Quality Monitoring

Scenic view of the Clark Fork near Drummond.

In 1993, a long-term monitoring program was implemented in cooperation with the USEPA at an expanded network of sites in the upper Clark Fork basin. In 2006, supplemental sampling was initiated in cooperation with the USEPA at sites in the lower Clark Fork basin from near Milltown Reservoir to the Flathead River to obtain additional water-quality information related to the removal of Milltown Dam.

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