FY 88 $ 70 million 



FY 89 100 million 



FY 90 100 million 



FY 91 130 million 



However, Congress appropriated no money for FY 88, and 

 EPA did not request any of the $100 million authorized for 

 FY 89. There is currently an effort in Congress to direct 

 EPA to apply some funds to the program in FY 89 from its 

 existing budget. 



Another potential source of federal funds for nonpoint 

 source pollution abatement is the so-called Governor's 20% 

 Discretionary Fund, which is a portion of the state's 

 allotment of money for construction of municipal wastewater 

 treatment plants. The Water Quality Act of 1987 amended 

 Clean Water Act Section 201(g) (1) by adding subsection (B) , 

 which establishes a new purpose for which these funds can be 

 used: "... any purpose for which a grant can be made 

 under section 310(h) and (i) of this Act (including any 

 innovative and alternative approaches for the control of 

 nonpoint sources of pollution)." Any nonpoint source 

 projects funded with section 201(g)(1)(B) money would 

 require the same 40% nonfederal match as would those funded 

 with section 319 money. The state has been told by EPA that 

 Montana's Coal Severance Tax funds and the interest on the 

 State Resource Indemnity Trust, which are used to support 

 conservation programs, may be used as match for Clean Water 

 Act section 201(g) (1) (B) funds if the identified conserva- 

 tion programs are part of an EPA-approved NPS management 

 program. 



Nutrients and Eutrophication 



Excessive algae growths in the Clark Fork and Lake Pend 

 Oreille are one of the more difficult water quality problems 

 of the Clark Fork Basin. Except for controlling heavy metals 

 pollution in the upper basin, the problem of nutrients and 

 algae growth is considered the highest-priority issue. 



Dense mats of filamentous green algae and diatoms, 

 besides being aesthetically unattractive, affect water uses 

 such as recreation and irrigation. Algae produce oxygen 

 during daylight hours; but at night, in the absence of 

 photosynthesis, algal respiration can deplete the oxygen 

 needed by fish and other aquatic organisms. Large quantities 

 of algae eventually die, creating sludge deposits and oxygen 

 demands. Rooted aquatic plants (macrophytes) found in lakes 

 or river backwaters have similar effects when they occur in 

 excessive quantities. In the Pend Oreille River in Washing- 

 ton, very dense growths of aquatic vegetation (Eurasian 



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