Unified Interior Regions
Montana
Welcome to the Midwest Region! Our region includes 18 Science Centers in 11 States from the Great Lakes to the Dakotas, south to Missouri and Kentucky. Our streamgage network is used to monitor and assess water resources across the region. Other research focuses on fisheries and aquatic ecosystems, midcontinental plant/animal species, invasive species, wildlife disease, and energy and mining.
Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK)
Scientists from the Center work in the northern Rocky Mountains and across the U.S. Many work throughout the world on issues as diverse as global climate change, aquatic ecology, wildlife diseases, bison ecology, and large carnivores.
Go to NOROCKWyoming-Montana Water Science Center
The Water Science Center's hydrologists, engineers, geospatial analysts, hydrologic technicians, geologists, and support staff work to provide hydrologic data and interpretive studies.
Go to CenterStates L2 Landing Page Tabs
Bighorn Basin Oil and Gas Assessments
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Bighorn Basin Province 5034:
- 2019 Continuous oil and gas resources in the niobrara internal of the Cody Shale (FS 2019-3045)
- 2008 Conventional and Continuous Assessment ( ...
North-Central Montana Oil and Gas Assessments
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the North-Central Montana and Williston Basin Provinces 5028 of central Montana and western North Dakota:
- 2017 Continuous Assessment (Fact Sheet 2017-3032)
- 2000 Continuous Assessment ( ...
Montana Thrust Belt Oil and Gas Assessments
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Montana Thrust Belt Province 5027 of northwestern Montana:
- 2002 Conventional and Continuous Assessment (Fact Sheet 148-02)
- 1995 Assessment ( ...
Yellowstone River Compact Commission
The Yellowstone River Compact was ratified in 1950 and became effective in 1951. The Yellowstone River Compact Commission (YRCC) is a three member commission charged with apportioning the waters of the Yellowstone River and its tributaries.
Williston Basin Oil and Gas Assessments
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of conventional and continuous oil and gas resources of the Devonian Three Forks Formation and Devonian and Mississippian Bakken Formation in the Williston Basin Province 5031 of North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota:
- 2013 Conventional and Continuous Assessment ( ...
Evaluating best practices for genetic sampling of bear populations- Tabitha Graves
Work with quantitative spatial wildlife ecologists to identify best practices for sampling rare and threatened carnivores using cutting edge statistical techniques. The results will be useful for sampling carnivore populations across the world. You will be stationed in beautiful northwest Montana in Glacier National Park.
Water Use in Montana
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled estimates of water use in Montana and the rest of the United States at 5-year intervals since 1950.
Early Detection Monitoring May Not Be Sufficient for Invasive Mussels in the Columbia River Basin
The ecological and economic costs of an invasive quagga or zebra mussel infestation in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. would be significant. The development of invasive mussel monitoring programs in the Pacific Northwest provides a unique opportunity to evaluate a regional invasive species detection effort early in its development. Although efforts are underway to monitor for the presence of...
EcoFlows: Understanding Streamflow Dynamics in Small Mountain Streams
The WY-MT WSC is collaborating with the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center to understand the dynamics of streamflows in small, mountain streams during the course of the year, and to describe the amount of variability associated with those measurments. These findings will assist fisheries biologists who are researching...
Upper Arkansas River Basin Toxics and Synoptic Studies
From 1986 to 2001, the Upper Arkansas Toxics Project focused on metal transport in streams affected by mining. Studies were conducted to quantify the physical, chemical, and biological processes affecting trace metal fate and transport.
Grinnell Glacier from Mount Gould, 1938 - 1981 - 1998 - 2015
Oblique view of Grinnell Glacier taken from the summit of Mount Gould, Glacier National Park. The relative sensitivity of glaciers to climate change is illustrated by the dramatic recession of Grinnell Glacier while surrounding vegetation patterns remain stable.
Image Use
Most of the repeat photography images available on this website are in the...
Critical Commodity Studies, Stillwater Complex, Montana
Scientific research can make our resource assessments of critical minerals more effective. This project focuses on the Stillwater Complex, Montana, which has rocks enriched in platinum-group elements (PGE), chromium, cobalt, and nickel. Project objectives are to update databases, evaluate new mapping techniques, document new styles of mineralization, and document and support research on the...
Rocky Mountain Regional Snowpack Chemistry Monitoring Station List
Snowpack monitoring site identification and snow-sampling-site location information.
Yellowstone River Basin Water-Quality Assessment data tables
Data collected in the Yellowstone River basin since 1998 are available from this link. Data from the Yellowstone River Basin NAWQA study unit and other study units that overlap into Wyoming, such as the Upper Snake River, the Great Salt Lake Basins, and the South Platte River study units, also are available from the...
Montana Crest-Stage Gage Network
The purpose of the crest-stage gage network is to inventory and monitor peak discharges throughout the state of Montana, with special emphasis on streams that may damage transportation infrastructure. Recorded data documenting peak streamflow at various sites within the state will be used by the Montana Department of Transportation to support assessments of culvert size, bridge construction,...
Wyoming-Montana Stream Water-Quality Network
Wyoming-Montana Stream Water-Quality Network
Water-quality sampling sites in the upper Clark fork Basin, Montana
Mining in the upper Clark Fork Basin has resulted in substantial effects on water quality from large amounts of waste materials enriched with metallic contaminants. The U.S. Geological Survey has collected data since 1985 to document changes in water quality that might have resulted from remediation activities.
DroughtWatch - View drought conditions
-
The USGS DroughtWatch website is a map-based resource from USGS WaterWatch that gives users hourly visual updates for drought conditions at over 3000 locations across the United States (
...
Surface-water data for Montana
Real-time, daily, peak-flow, field measurements, and statistics of current and historical data that describe stream levels, streamflow (discharge), reservoir and lake levels, surface-water quality, and rainfall in Montana. Surface-water data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as...
Groundwater data for Montana
Data from wells in Montana; well location data includes information such as latitude and longitude, well depth, and aquifer. Groundwater level data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders.
Water-quality data for Montana
Chemical, physical, and biological properties of water, sediment, and tissue samples from Montana. Water-quality data are collected as either discrete field measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders that continuously record physical and chemical characteristics including pH, specific conductance, temperature, and dissolved oxygen.
Bozeman wetland sites in Montana
Bozeman wetland sites in Montana
Johnson wetland sites in Montana
Johnson wetland sites in Montana
Kindsfater wetland sites in Montana
Kindsfater wetland sites in Montana
Integrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Basin and Boulder Mining Districts, Boulder River watershed, Jefferson County, Montana
The Boulder River watershed is one of many watersheds in the western United States where historical mining has left a legacy of acid mine drainage and elevated concentrations of potentially toxic trace elements. Abandoned mine lands commonly are located on or affect Federal land. Cleaning up these Federal lands will require substantial investment...
Nimick, David A.; Church, Stan E.; Finger, Susan E.
Rocky Mountain snowpack chemistry at selected sites for 2001
Because regional-scale atmospheric deposition data in the Rocky Mountains are sparse, a program was designed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and other agencies, to more thoroughly determine the chemical composition of precipitation and to identify sources...
Ingersoll, George P.; Mast, Alisa; Clow, David W.; Nanus, Leora; Campbell, Donald H.; Handran, Heather
The composition and morphology of amphiboles from the Rainy Creek complex, near Libby, Montana
Thirty samples of amphibole-rich rock from the largest mined vermiculite deposit in the world in the Rainy Creek alkaline-ultramafic complex near Libby, Montana, were collected and analyzed. The amphibole-rich rock is the suspected cause of an abnormally high number of asbestos-related diseases reported in the residents of Libby, and in former...
Meeker, G.P.; Bern, A.M.; Brownfield, I.K.; Lowers, H.A.; Sutley, S.J.; Hoefen, T.M.; Vance, J.S.
Streamflow for irrigation in the upper Pryor Creek basin, Montana, base period water years 1937-86
Johnson, D.R.
National water summary 1987: Hydrologic events and water supply and use
Water use in the United States, as measured by freshwater withdrawals in 1985, averaged 338,000 Mgal/d (million gallons per day), which is enough water to cover the 48 conterminous States to a depth of about 2.4 inches. Only 92,300 Mgal/d, or 27.3 percent of the water withdrawn, was consumptive use and thus lost to immediate further use; the...
Carr, Jerry E.; Chase, Edith B.; Paulson, Richard W.; Moody, David W.
The 1959 Hebgen Lake, Montana, earthquake: Two geological points of view
No abstract available.
Mallis, Robert; Witkind, Irving J.- « first
- ‹ previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Monthly Update: February 3, 2020
Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, gives an overview of activity at Yellowstone during January 2020.
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Monthly Update: January 2, 2020
Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, gives an overview of activity at Yellowstone during 2019, with an emphasis on the month of December.
Map showing ice cover in the Yellowstone region
Map showing ice cover in the Yellowstone region. Light shaded areas bounded by black and red lines indicate areas covered during the Pinedale (about 20,000-15,000 years ago) and Bull Lake (about 150,000 years ago) glaciations, respectively. Blue lines are contours in thousands of feet on the maximum reconstructed Pinedale glacier surface. The circled numbers schematically
...
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Monthly Update: December 2, 2019
Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone during the month of November 2019.
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Monthly Update: November 1, 2019
Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone during the month of October 2019
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Monthly Update: October 1, 2019
Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone during the month of September 2019.
Lake Sherburn
Lake Sherburn
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Monthly Update: September 3, 2019
Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone during the month of August 2019.
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Monthly Update: August 1, 2019
Mike Poland, Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, describes activity at Yellowstone during the month of July 2019.
Collecting Field Parameters During the 2019 Well Inventory
USGS hydrologic technician collecting field parameters during the 2019 well inventory at a farm and ranch in the north central portion of the Fort Peck reservation.
Abandoned Farm on the Northwest Corner of the Fort Peck Reservation
Abandoned Farm on the Northwest Corner of the Fort Peck Reservation
Fallow Field (Left) and Dryland Wheat (Right) near Larslan, MT
Fallow field on the left and dryland wheat on the right, northwestern corner of the Fort Peck Reservation (near Larslan, MT)
West Glacier, Mont. – Two rare alpine insects – native to the northern Rocky Mountains and dependent on cold waters of glacier and snowmelt-fed alpine streams – are imperiled due to climate warming induced glacier and snow loss according to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners.
New study investigates groundwater from the air
A new study by the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center and the NPS Greater Yellowstone Network has shown that contamination of wetlands by brine had negative effects on plant productivity and macroinvertebrate communities.
At the request of the Bureau of Land Management, USGS has released an assessment of mineral resources in six Western states.
Grizzly bears in the southern portion of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem experienced a rapid increase in genetic diversity, according to a new study led by the USGS.
Bull trout populations are lower, more variable, and declining where stream habitat is limited, invasive species and land-use (i.e., roads) are prevalent, and stream temperatures are highest, according to a new study led by the USGS.
New Center Director to sustain NOROCK’s tradition of productivity and partnership in generating ground-breaking science relevant to resource managers in the Northern Rocky Mountains and beyond.
Bozeman - A new U.S. Geological Survey study illustrates the usefulness of genetic approaches to track invasive bullfrog introductions. Results will inform management actions for identifying and controlling importation and secondary spread of invasive bullfrogs in Montana.
MISSOULA – Gravel-bed river floodplains are some of the most ecologically important habitats in North America, according to a new study by scientists from the U.S. and Canada. Their research shows how broad valleys coming out of glaciated mountains provide highly productive and important habitat for a large diversity of aquatic, avian and terrestrial species.
First-of-its-kind survey shows that algal toxins are found nationwide
The U.S. Geological Survey and its partners have shown how brucellosis has impacted cattle, bison and elk in the greater Yellowstone area.
What began as an effort to document and analyze the retreat of glaciers in Glacier National Park, has become a collection of striking photographs displayed on museum walls.
Social Media
Locations
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center - Helena Office
Phone: (406) 457-5900
Fax: (406) 457-5990
Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK) Headquarters
Phone: 406-994-7544
Fax: 406-994-6556
Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center - Billings Office
Phone: 406-656-1444
Contacts
Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK)
Scientists from the Center work in the northern Rocky Mountains and across the U.S. Many work throughout the world on issues as diverse as global climate change, aquatic ecology, wildlife diseases, bison ecology, and large carnivores.
Go to NOROCKWyoming-Montana Water Science Center
The Water Science Center's hydrologists, engineers, geospatial analysts, hydrologic technicians, geologists, and support staff work to provide hydrologic data and interpretive studies.
Go to Center