CHAPTER 3 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND 



PROBLEMS 3-1 



WATER RIGHTS 3-1 



Introduction 3-1 



Pre-197 3 Water Rights Claimed Through 



Statewide Adjudication . 3-2 



Hydropower. . 3-3 



Instream Flow Rights 3-4 



Status of Statewide Adjudication 3-6 



Provisional Permits Issued Since 1973. . . . 3-9 



Ground Water Permitting Process 3-10 



Indian and Non-Indian Federal 



Reserved Water Rights. . 3-12 



US Forest Service 3-12 



The Confederated Salish and 

 Kootenai Tribes of the 



Flathead Reservation 3-14 



INSTREAM FLOW RESERVATIONS 3-16 



Introduction 3-16 



Hydropower Rights 3-16 



Fish, Wildlife, and Aquatic Resources. . . . 3-17 



Water Quality Benefits 3-18 



Water Supply 3-19 



Recreation, Aesthetics, and Tourism 3-20 



Riparian Areas 3-20 



STATUS OF SUPERFUND INVESTIGATIONS 3-21 



Introduction 3-21 



Silver Bow Creek/Butte Addition 3-24 



Montana Pole 3-27 



Anaconda Smelter 3-28 



Milltown Reservoir 3-30 



METALS -CONTAMINATED LANDS 3-31 



Introduction 3-31 



Tailings Disposal Areas 3-32 



Colorado Tailings 3-32 



Old Works 3-3 3 



Anaconda and Opportunity Ponds 3-3 4 



Warm Springs Ponds 3-35 



Lands Affected by Aerial Deposition 3-37 



Irrigation-Affected Lands 3-40 



Floodplain Mine Wastes 3-42 



Sediment Transport Mechanisms 3-4 7 



Reservoir Sediments 3-49 



Reclamation of Contaminated Lands 3-50 



Spangler Ranch Study 3-50 



Streambank Tailings and 



Revegetation Study 3-52 



ill 



