INTRODUCTION 



The Clark Fork of the Columbia River had been seriously 

 polluted even before Montana achieved statehood. Historical 

 accounts of the early mining camps indicate the upper Clark 

 Fork and many of its tributaries were used as sewers for 

 mining and smelting byproducts and domestic waste. Because 

 of its poor condition, few efforts were made to protect the 

 river. In the 1950s, new federal water pollution control 

 legislation required wastewater treatment. Wastewater 

 settling ponds were installed at the headwaters, reducing the 

 river's pollution load, and the river began its slow 

 recovery. Now, as Montana approaches its first centennial, 

 the Clark Fork no longer runs red with mining wastes, and 

 trout thrive at the headwaters, but its recovery is far from 

 complete. 



New attention was focused on the basin in November 1983, 

 when the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences 

 (DHES) Water Quality Bureau (WQB) proposed to issue a 

 modified wastewater discharge permit for the Champion 

 International pulp mill located west of Missoula. In the 

 controversy surrounding the WQB's decision, deficiencies in 

 water quality and fisheries data were recognized. 



The data deficiencies magnified the need for a basin- 

 wide study of the Clark Fork. Diverse sources, including 

 environmental groups, private citizens, the Montana Environ- 

 mental Quality Council, and members of industry, encouraged 

 state government to conduct a comprehensive investigation of 

 water quality in the Clark Fork drainage. These groups urged 

 that a study be developed to identify major water quality- 

 related issues and problems and to provide government and 

 local leaders with a broad range of choices for making future 

 resource management decisions. 



In April 1984, Governor Ted Schwinden announced the 

 initiation of a long-range comprehensive study of the Clark 

 Fork Basin. He said, "Montanans must make responsible 

 decisions affecting the Clark Fork Basin in the future. We 

 need a solid base of information upon which we can act, and 

 it is imperative we pull together the fragmented studies now 

 underway." The Governor encouraged all groups and indi- 

 viduals with interests in the Clark Fork Basin to help fund 

 and define the nature of the study. Funding for the Clark 

 Fork Basin Project was initially provided with a grant of 

 $200,000 from the Anaconda Minerals Company and later with 

 funds from the state Resource Indemnity Trust Fund. 

 Additional funds for the many individual investigations have 

 come from a variety of public and private sources. 



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