WATER POLLUTION. . . By Steve Bayless 



Montana Fish & Game Dept. 



With growing populations, increasing industries 

 and more emphasis on agriculture, the pollution 

 problem is growing larger and more complex every 

 day. On a nationwide scale, we have a fixed sup- 

 ply of 315 billion gallons of fresh water available 

 for use. This means that we must reuse our water 

 in order to supply the 355 billion gallons needed. 

 This is one of the reasons pollution is so dangerous 

 to us all. 



One of Montana's foremost problems of the day is 

 that of maintaining adequate quantities of clean 

 water for use by the public. 



In order to meet these growing needs for clean 

 water, the Montana State Board of Health, in 1952, 

 notified all cities of the requirement to discontinue 

 their discharge of raw sewage into streams within 

 a period of seven years. In 1955, the Water Pollu- 

 tion Act strengthened the state's antipollution legis- 

 lation by creating the Pollution Council. The seven 

 member Council, as the agency which administers 

 the Pollution Act, also provides a method of dealing 

 with pollution which does not directly affect public 

 health. The Montana Fish and Game Department, 

 as one of the Council members, is represented by 

 Director Frank H. Dunkle. 



the Montana State Board of Health reported that 15 

 new sewage treatment plants were either finished 

 or under construction. The Board of Health en- 

 forces the pollution law and regulations of the PoUu 

 tion Council. 



But even though inroads have been made in prevent- 

 ing pollution from cities and towns, there remains 

 much to be done before the fight is balanced. 



Industrial problems from pulp mills, oil refineries, 

 sugar factories and slaughter houses still remain, 

 even though great strides have been made in the 

 last 10 years. 



The one big problem at present is silt. Poor land 

 practices in many parts of the state are increasing 

 the load of sediment being carried by streams. This 

 form of pollution is by far the lai'gest and most dif- 

 ficult to manage. It is difficult to realistically leg- 

 islate against sedimentation - - in fact agricultural 

 pollution wasn't even considered in the Water Pollu- 

 tion Act. 



Here, the problem is education. The state's 

 farmers and ranchers are realizing that their use of 

 ofthe land has a profound effect on whether or not 

 water supplies are contaminated with silt. Over- 

 grazing, or farming practices which destroy stream 

 bank vegetation, in turn increase erosion and sedi- 

 mentation. Excess irrigation water can have the 

 same result when it collects in unlined return 

 ditches and erodes their banks and bottoms on the 

 way back to a stream. All of these things, and 

 many others, affect the quality of water. 



Dr. Nathanial WoUman of the University of New 

 Mexico, in a special study for Resources for the 

 Future and the Kerr Committee, said the west from 

 the Canadian line in North Dakota clear to San Diego 

 California, would be effectively out of water by 

 1980. We'll meet these problems, as with other 

 problems, first and more painfully than the rest of 

 the U. S. 



It was WoUman's estimate that cleaning up pollution 

 and providing pure water would cost most of the 

 $75 billion water -expenditure the nation faces. 



The Water Pollution Act defines pollution as "The 

 alteration of physical, chemical or biological prop- 

 erties of water which renders said waters detrimen- 

 tal for their most beneficial use. " In many parts 

 of the state, the most beneficial use of water is for 

 recreational purposes. Many of the State's streams 

 provide excellent angling of a type known only to the 

 Treasure State. Resident sportsmen are proud of 

 these waters, and want to see them remain as top- 

 notch fisheries. 



Montana in recognizing the importance of clean 

 water for the future, has done something to curb 

 pollution. During the biennial period of 1960-1962, 



Continued next coh 



Z 



But more than money is needed. Otherwise we may 

 fulfill the gloomy predictions of those ecologists - 

 students of man in relation to his total enviroment 

 . . who point out that no organism can continue to 

 live in a multiplying environment of its own wastes. 



IN MEMORIAM. 



HENRY EVANS, Chairman Judith Basin SWCD 

 HUGH HASTINGS, Chairman Cascade SWCD 



Montana mourns the passing in early February of 

 two outstanding supervisors. Henry was a well 

 known past president of MASWCD. Both were 

 Conservationists. 



Our sympathy go to Mrs. 

 and their families. 



Evans and Mrs. Hastings 



