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Establishment of a baseline groundwater monitoring program in an area identified for energy development on the Blackfeet Reservation, Montana Active

By Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center May 5, 2018

USGS hydrologist demonstrates groundwater sample collection

Blackfeet Environmental Office personnel measure groundwater levels

As a result of energy development, the Blackfeet Environmental Office has developed a groundwater monitoring program specifically focused on the Cut Bank Creek watershed of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The addition of groundwater data to an existing surface-water monitoring program will help the Blackfeet Tribe develop a more complete understanding of the current conditions of their water resources. The U.S. Geological Survey is providing technical assistance for this study through network design, sample collection, and data analysis.

 

Objectives:

•Characterize baseline water quality conditions and groundwater levels within both surficial and bedrock aquifers within the Cut Bank Creek Watershed on the Blackfeet Reservation; and

•Initiate a monitoring network that could be used to identify changes in groundwater quality and groundwater levels, and the potential influences on those changes.

Below are partners associated with this project.

Blackfeet Nation