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6. Boulder River Drainage 



The Boulder River is tributary to the Jefferson River near Cardwell, 

 Montana. The watershed is defined by the Elkhorn Mountains to the 

 north and east, and the Boulder Batholith and Bull Mountains to the west. 

 The DNR&C drainage basin designation is 41E. The watershed is classified 

 as B-Dj (DHES), except for the upper reaches of Basin Creek. 



Forestland ownership in the Boulder River drainage is predominantly USPS 

 with additional BLM, private and state ownerships. Silvicultural activities 

 on non-USFS lands have been very limited and only one problem area was 

 reported. There are two areas of checkerboard ownerships (USPS and private) 

 where harvest activities should be coordinated. At present, the USPS 

 has curtailed its harvest activities in the Bull Mountains due to private 

 harvesting on adjacent lands. 



The drainage has low sedimentation rates. The Jefferson Valley Conservation 

 District (1977) estimated that only 100 acres of commercial forestland 

 (from a total of 50,000 acres) contributes to non-point sediment pollution. 

 Local agricultural practices have accelerated geologic erosion (Jefferson 

 Valley Conservation District, 1976). Severe mining impacts have also 

 occurred (DHES, 1976). 



Table VI-C6 delineates existing and potential areas of water quality impacts 

 in the Boulder River drainage; Plate I shows locations of these areas. 



