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Selected Water-Quality Regulation Resources for the Koocanusa Watershed in the United States and Canada

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By Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center September 29, 2023

The United States, Canada, the States of Montana and Idaho, and Province of British Columbia all have different regulatory levels for the selenium, nitrate, and sulfate that affect the rivers and lakes in the Kootenei Basin. Links to those entities’ web pages describing the different regulations are provided to help provide perspective to the results of this study.

Standards and Regulations in the United States:

 

Standards and Regulations in Canada:

Below are projects associated with this information.

link
Lake Koocanusa

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...
By
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
link

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...
Learn More

Input Files and WRTDS Model Output for the two major tributaries of Lake Koocanusa

Canadian discrete water quality data and daily streamflow records were evaluated using the Weighted Regression on Time, Discharge, and Seasons (WRTDS) model implemented with the EGRET R package (Hirsch et al. 2010, Hirsch and De Cicco 2015). Models were used to estimate loads of solutes and evaluate trends for three constituents of interest (selenium, nitrogen, and sulfate). Six models were genera
By
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Selenium in the Kootenai River Basin, Montana and Idaho, United States, and British Columbia, Canada

Selenium entering the 90-mile long transboundary Koocanusa Reservoir (also called Lake Koocanusa) in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northwestern Montana, United States, has been measured at concentrations above State and Federal water-quality and aquatic life standards. The reservoir is within the international Kootenai (or “Kootenay” in Canada) drainage basin, which contains critical
Authors
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Understanding and documenting the scientific basis of selenium ecological protection in support of site-specific guidelines development for Lake Koocanusa, Montana, U.S.A., and British Columbia, Canada

Modeling of ecosystems is a part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s protocol for developing site-specific selenium guidelines for protection of aquatic life. Selenium as an environmental contaminant is known to bioaccumulate and cause reproductive effects in fish and wildlife. Here we apply a modeling methodology—ecosystem-scale selenium modeling—to understand and document the scientifi
Authors
Theresa S. Presser, David L. Naftz
By
Water Resources Mission Area

The United States, Canada, the States of Montana and Idaho, and Province of British Columbia all have different regulatory levels for the selenium, nitrate, and sulfate that affect the rivers and lakes in the Kootenei Basin. Links to those entities’ web pages describing the different regulations are provided to help provide perspective to the results of this study.

Standards and Regulations in the United States:

 

Standards and Regulations in Canada:

Below are projects associated with this information.

link
Lake Koocanusa

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...
By
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center
link

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...
Learn More

Input Files and WRTDS Model Output for the two major tributaries of Lake Koocanusa

Canadian discrete water quality data and daily streamflow records were evaluated using the Weighted Regression on Time, Discharge, and Seasons (WRTDS) model implemented with the EGRET R package (Hirsch et al. 2010, Hirsch and De Cicco 2015). Models were used to estimate loads of solutes and evaluate trends for three constituents of interest (selenium, nitrogen, and sulfate). Six models were genera
By
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Selenium in the Kootenai River Basin, Montana and Idaho, United States, and British Columbia, Canada

Selenium entering the 90-mile long transboundary Koocanusa Reservoir (also called Lake Koocanusa) in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northwestern Montana, United States, has been measured at concentrations above State and Federal water-quality and aquatic life standards. The reservoir is within the international Kootenai (or “Kootenay” in Canada) drainage basin, which contains critical
Authors
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Idaho Water Science Center, Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center

Understanding and documenting the scientific basis of selenium ecological protection in support of site-specific guidelines development for Lake Koocanusa, Montana, U.S.A., and British Columbia, Canada

Modeling of ecosystems is a part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s protocol for developing site-specific selenium guidelines for protection of aquatic life. Selenium as an environmental contaminant is known to bioaccumulate and cause reproductive effects in fish and wildlife. Here we apply a modeling methodology—ecosystem-scale selenium modeling—to understand and document the scientifi
Authors
Theresa S. Presser, David L. Naftz
By
Water Resources Mission Area
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