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. APPLICATIONS
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
FOR WATER RESERVATION
APPLICATIONS
IN THE
UPPE'R CLARK FORK BASIN
January 1991
Montana Department of Natural Resources
and Conservation
CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER TWO: SUMMARY OF THE DRAFT EIS AND ADDENDUM 3
BOARD DECISION CRITERIA 3
Qualifications and Purpose 3
Need ~ 3
Amount 3
Public Interest 3
Diligence 3
No Adverse Effect on Senior Water Rights 3
SUMMARIES 3
CCD'S REQUEST ON THE NORTH FORK OF LOWER WILLOW CREEK .4
Qualifications and Purpose 4
Need 4
Amount 4
Public Interest 4
Benefits 4
Costs 6
Comparison of Net Benefits and Costs 6
AI ternatives 6
Irretrievable Losses ,. 6
Public Health, Welfare, and Safety 6
'CCD'S REQUEST ON BOULDER CREEK 6
Qualifications and Purpose 6
Need 6
Amount 8
Public Interest 8
Benefits 8
Costs 8
Comparison of Net Benefits and Costs 8
Alternatives 8
Irretrievable Losses 8
Public Health, Welfare, and Safety 8
DFWP'S REQUESTS FOR THE UPPER CLARK FORK AND 17 TRIBUTARIES 9
Qualifications and Purpose 9
Need 9
Amount 9
Wetted-perimeter Method 9
Other Considerations 13
Other Methods to Determine Amount of Instream Flow 14
Streams Where the WETI' Method was Not Used 14
Fifty Percent Limit 14
Public Interest 14
Benefits 14
Costs 16
Comparison of Net Benefits and Costs 16
Alternatives 16
Irretrievable Losses 16
Public Health, Welfare, and Safety 16
iii
CHAPTER THREE: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND OTHER PLANNING EFFORTS 27
INTRODUCTION 27
SECTION I -ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 27
WATER AVAILABILITY 27
The Effect of DFWP's Reservations on Flows Below Milltown Dam 27
No Legal Protection of Flows 27
Contribution to Downstream Flows Still Likely 27
If DFWP's Reservations are Denied 27
STREAMFLOWS : 28
WATEE QUAL!'!'Y ..,' 32
Adoption of New Water Quality Standards 32
Arsenic 32
Copper 37
Zinc 38
Nutrients 39
UPDATED WATER QUALITY CLASSIFICATIONS 43
PROJECT FEASIBILI1Y: A COMPARISON OF METHODS USED BY DNRC AND GCD 43
EFFECTS OF GCD'S PROPOSED PROJECTS ON HYDROPOWER PRODUCTION 44
n-
SECTION OTHER PLANNING EFFORTS
48
EPA SUPERFUND CLEANUP
48
INSTREAM FLOW LEASING (HB 707)
49
WILD AND SCENIC RNERS DESIGNATICN
50
COLUMBIA RIVER SYSTEM OPERAnON REVIEW
50
DEER LODGE FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN
50
NORTHWEST POWER PLANNING COUNCIL PR '1
Ll'ED AREAS DESIGNATION 51
OTHER STATE AND FEDERAL PERMITS
52
CHAPTER FOUR: COMMENTS AND RESPONSES
53
INTRODUCTION
53
COMMENTS AND RESPONSES
53
APPENDIX A: WETTED-PERIMETER VERSUS FLOW CURVES 227
APPENDIX B: WATER QUALITY DATA FOR UPPER CLARK FORK TRIBUTARIES 241
BIBLIOGRAPHY 251
ERRATA 264
LIST OF PERSONS PREPARING THE FINAL EIS 265
REVIEWERS 265
IV
LIST OF TABLES
2-1 DFWP's Reservation Requests by Stream 10
2-2 Instream Flow Requests and Average Flows Based on Stream Cauges 15
2-3 Fish Species in the Upper Clark Fork by Stream Reach 17
2-4 Typical Animals and Waterfowl Use Found Along Clark Fork Tributaries 19
2-5 Typical Plants and Condition of Vegetation Found Along Clark Fork Tributaries 20
2-6 Fishing Pressure (Angler Days per Year) 21
2-7 Water Quality of Streams Where Reservations are Requested 22
2-8 Irrigable Acreages in the Upper Clark Fork Basin 23
2-9 Estimated Flows in Excess of DFWP's Reservations
Clark Fork main stem (3 tables) 24
Little Blackfoot River Reach 2 (l table) 26
Flint Creek Reach 1 (l table) 26
Boulder Creek (1 table) 26
3-1 Revised Median Flow Estimates on Flint Creek 29
3-2 Instantaneous Measurements for Selected Streams near their Mouths 31
3-3 Estimated Mean Annual Runoff-Clark Fork Tributaries 28
3-4 Surface-water Arsenic Levels in the Flint Creek Area 32
3-5 Average Monthly Concentrations of Total Recoverable Arsenic in Upper Clark Fork Main Stem 33
3-6 Copper Levels for the Clark Fork Above and Below the Little Blackfoot River 37
3-7 Zinc Levels for the Clark Fork Above and Below the Little Blackfoot River 39
3-8 July 1988-June 1990 Clark Fork BAsin Nutrient Concentration Data Summary .40
3-9 Ranking of Clark Fork Basin Nutrient Sources by Mean Concentrations of Phosphorus and Nitrogen .41
3-10 Increase in Net Returns Due to Project using Different Assumptions 44
3-11 Change in Power Production Due to CCO's Proposed Project on Boulder Creek (in kWh) .45
3-12 Change in Power Production Due to CCO's Proposed Project on the North Fork of Lower Willow Creek
(in kWh) 45
3-13 Change in Power Production Due to Both Projects (in kWh) 46
3-14 Change in Power Production Due to CCO's Proposed Project on Boulder Creek (in $) 46
3-15 Change in Power Production Due to CCD's Proposed Project on the North Fork of Lower Willow Creek (in $) 47
3-16 Change in Power Production Due to Both Projects (in $) 47
3-17 Protected Streams and Reaches in the Upper Clark Fork Basin 51
3-18 Agencies with Possible Jurisdiction 52
4-1 Water Quality Criteria for Ambient Dissolved Oxygen Concentration 81
4-2 Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations Versus Level of Effect 82
4-3 Water Use Permits Issued Appropriating At Least 100 CPM of Surface Water as of 8/20/90 88
4-4 Lower Willow Creek Reservoir Releases With and Without Proposed North Fork of Lower Willow Creek Project .. 107
4-5 Estimated Flows Below Proposed North Fork of Lower Willow Creek Reservoir Site With and WithoLl t
Proposed Reservoir 108
4-6 Estimates of Population Trends in Upper Clark Fork Basin Counties 1980-1987 111
4-7 Changes in Flow Below CCD Project Lands 118
4-8 Mining Operations, Upper Clark Fork Basin, 1990 144
4-9 Small Miner Exclusion Mines, Upper Clark Fork Basin, by County, 1990 145
4-10 1987 Installation and Operation Costs of Stream Cauge Options 150
4-11 Alfalfa Yields T/ A 165
-1-12 Permits with Priority Dates of 1985 to Present in the Upper Clark Fork Basin (76C) 174
4-13 Lower Flint and Boulder Creek Basin Model (without the Boulder Creek Dam) 187
4-14 Lower Flint and Boulder Creek Basin Model (with the Boulder Creek Dam) 188
4-15 Estimated Allendale Canal Shortages with and without Proposed Boulder Creek Project 209
4-16 Comparison of Boulder Creek Flows at Maxville and Proposed Dam Site 224
Appendix B; Water Quality Data for Upper Clark Fork Tributaries 243
v
LIST OF FIGURES
2-1 Lower Willow Creek Project Area 5
2-2 Proposed Boulder Creek Reservoir, Canal, and Irrigated Lands 7
2-3 Reservation Requests in the Upper Clark Fork Basin 11
3-1 Relation of conentration of total arsenic to suspended sediment-Clark Fork at Deer Lodge 35
3-2 Relation of conentration of total arsenic to suspended sediment-Clark Fork at Turah Bridge 35
3-3 Daily mean streamflow and suspended-sediment concentration for the Clark Fork at Deer Lodge 36
3-4 Daily mean streamflow and suspended-sediment concentration for the Clark Fork at Turah Bridge 36
3-5 Clark Fork Basin Main Stem Phosphorus Concentration 42
3-6 Clark Fork Basin Main Stem Nitrogen Concentration
4-1 Clark Fork at Warm Springs, Diurnal DO 77
4-2 Clark Fork at Deer Lodge, Diurnal DO 78
4-3 Clark Fork Above Little Blackfoot, Diurnal DO 78
4-4 Clark Fork Below Gold Creek, Diurnal DO 79
4-5 Clark Fork at Drummond, Diurnal DO 79
4-6 Clark Fork Above Rock Creek, Diurnal DO 80
4-7 Clark Fork at Turah, Diurnal DO 80
4-8 Upper Clark Fork River, Total Number of Trout per Mile in 31 River Segments (Spring 1987) 181
A-I Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Clark Fork near Deer Lodge 229
A-2 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Clark Fork near Gold Creek 229
A-3 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Clark Fork near Bearmouth 230
A-4 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Clark Fork near Turah 230
A-5 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Warm Springs Creek near Meyers Dam 231
A-6 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Warm Springs Creek near mouth 231
A-7 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Barker Creek 232
A-8 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Storm Lake Creek 232
A-9 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Twin Lakes Creek 233
A-I0 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Lost Creek 233
A-II Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Racetrack Creek near the Deerlodge Forest boundary 234
A-12 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Racetrack Creek near mouth 234
A-13 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Dempsey Creek 235
A-14 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Little Blackfoot River above Dog Creek 235
A-15 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Little Blackfoot River near mouth 236
A-16 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Snowshoe Creek 236
A-17 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Dog Creek 237
A-18 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Gold Creek 237
A-19 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Flint Creek above Boulder Creek 238
A-20 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Flint Creek near mouth 238
A-21 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Boulder Creek 239
1\-22 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, North Fork of Flint Creek 239
1\-23 Wetted Perimeter versus Flow, Harvey Creek 240
VI
ABBREVIATIONS
af acre-feet
AMC Anaconda Mining Company
ARCO Atlantic Richfield Company
ARM Administrative Rules of Montana
ASCS Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service
AUM animal unit month
BHES Montana Board of Health and Environmental Sciences
BLM United States Bureau of Land Management
Board Montana Board of Natural Resources and Conservation
BOD biological oxygen demand
BPA Bonneville Power Administration
cfs cubic feet per second
COD chemical oxygen demand
DFWP Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
DHES Montana Department of Health and Environmental Sciences
DNRC Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
DSL Montana Department of State Lands
EIS environmental impact statement
EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
GCD Granite Conservation District
kv kilovolt
kWh kilowatt-hour
MCA Montana Codes Annotated
MEPA Montana Environmental Policy Act
mg/l milligrams per liter
MNHP Montana Natural Heritage Program
MNRIS Montana Natural Resources Information System
MPC Montana Power Company
MRI Montana Resources Incorporated
TDS total dissolved solids
TSS total suspended solids
Ilg/l micrograms per liter
USBR United States Bureau of Reclamation
USDA United States Department of Agriculture
USDI United States Department of the Interior
USFS United States Forest Service
USGS United States Geological Survey
WWP Washington Water Power Company
vii
