Water-Quality Trends Analysis
Water-Quality Trends Analysis
Filter Total Items: 7
Assessing the effects of mining on the Transboundary Koocanusa Reservoir
The Kootenai River Watershed is an international resource cooperatively managed by the U.S., Canada, and Tribal governments. In recent years, coal mining in the Canadian portion of the watershed has resulted in elevated concentrations of several constituents, including selenium, nitrate, and sulfate downstream (Storb et al., 2023). At increased levels, these mining byproducts can affect water...
Evidence of selenium transport from Elk River Valley, Canada to the Columbia River
Selenium is an essential nutrient with a narrow gap between enough for life and too much for life. Mining operations have been linked to releasing selenium into rivers and streams, where it can accumulate in aquatic ecosystems and disrupt the development of egg-laying organisms like fish and birds. Recent research shows that selenium travels farther from the Elk River Valley than previously...
Growth of coal mining operations in the Elk River Valley linked to increasing transport of selenium, nitrate, and sulfate into Lake Koocanusa
Lake Koocanusa (also called Koocanusa Reservoir) is a transboundary reservoir that's located in northwestern Montana and southwestern British Columbia, Canada (BC) and encompasses the headwaters of the Kootenai watershed, eventually flowing into the Columbia River. Coal mining has occurred in the Elk River watershed in British Columbia, Canada for more than 100 years. Concentrations of different...
History of Water-Quality Sampling the the Lake Koocanusa Basin
Since 1984, Canadian agencies have collected samples to measure selenium concentrations in the Elk River measured at the monitoring station (site BC08NK0003) (British Columbia Ministry of Forests Lands Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, 2022) which is 2.2 miles above its discharge into Lake Koocanusa. Detections of selenium from this site have ranged from below detection to greater...
Long-Term Surface-Water Monitoring in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has collected water-quality samples from selected stream sites upstream from Missoula since 1985.
Flaxville Aquifer
The Flaxville aquifer is present in the northern and central parts of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and consists of sand and gravel that forms extensive plateaus and topographic benches used for dryland farming. Because many residents rely on groundwater as their primary water supply on the Reservation, the Flaxville and underlying aquifers are important sources of groundwater. The goal of this...
Yellowstone River Basin Water-Quality Assessment
The Yellowstone River Basin (YELL) study-unit in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota, is part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The long-term goals of this program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources, and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of...