Water Quality

Montana has set water quality standards designed to protect and restore the state’s waters for the purposes of recreation, aquatic life, and domestic, municipal and agricultural water supply.  The state, under the auspices of DEQ, is required to define the total amount of various pollutants (called TMDLs) a water body may receive from all sources while maintaining high water quality standards.  The Big Hole Watershed Committee is collaborating with the DEQ and other interested groups to assure participation of and understanding by the local community in this TMDL process.

A watershed characterization and water quality classification have been completed on the upper, middle and lower Big Hole River. As well as a pollutant source assessment on the middle and lower Big Hole and water quality impairments a restoration, implementation, and monitoring strategy has been developed for areas where problems have been identified.  The Big Hole Watershed Committee encourages anyone who is interested in this process to contact us.