discharge permit. The lack of adequate data to support 

 permitting decisions resulted in delays and public uncer- 

 tainty. 



Since 1984, the Water Quality Bureau has maintained an 

 intensive water quality monitoring effort at more than 3 

 stations located from near the headwaters to the Idaho 

 border. This water quality sampling, supplemented with 

 biological data, is the most comprehensive water quality 

 record for the basin. It is essential to continue this 

 monitoring program for at least another biennium and to 

 initiate other special monitoring programs to meet short-term 

 monitoring goals on the Clark Fork. 



In addition to the WQB monitoring, several other 

 agencies and industries have collected valuable data from 

 surveys and specific projects. All of these programs have 

 improved our knowledge, but developing a long-term, compre- 

 hensive environmental monitoring program for the Clark Fork 

 Basin is paramount. 



This long-term monitoring program should provide a 

 sufficiently detailed record of water quality and biological 

 data to identify trends and new problems and to measure the 

 effects of resource development, changing land uses, and 

 reclamation and pollution control programs. 



The strategies for achieving short-term monitoring goals 

 are: 



Continue WQB monitoring in the Clark Fork Basin. 



a. As an interim to a future comprehensive program, 

 the current WQB monitoring program should be 

 maintained. Continuance of current monitoring can 

 provide information for trend analysis, refine our 

 knowledge of certain pollutants such as nutrients, 

 measure progress in Superfund cleanup in the 

 headwaters, measure effects of new mining projects, 

 and define water quality over a broader range of 

 flow conditions (FY 85-88 were relatively low-flow 

 years) . 



b. This monitoring program should be reviewed to 

 determine if changes are needed and if the program 

 could be streamlined. 



c. Approve the WQB budget request to continue the 

 monitoring program for another biennium. 



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