4. Evaluate the feasibility of new water storage projects in 

 the upper basin. 



A detailed study of the upper basin hydrology should be 

 conducted to identify potential water storage sites. 

 Control and storage of high spring flows would be a 

 useful means to maintain instream flows and alleviate 

 water shortages. As the cost of water increases with 

 increased demand, water storage becomes more feasible. 



Land and Water Use Inventory 



Management decisions regarding water resources in the 

 Clark Fork Basin are hampered by, among other things, the 

 lack of an up-to-date land use data base and the lack of 

 coordination in ground water and surface water permitting 

 processes. Recommendations to address these issues are: 



Update land use data in the Clark Fork Basin. 



Facilitate future water management decisions by 

 maintaining an accurate, up-to-date land use data base 

 in the Clark Fork Basin. For example, estimates of 

 irrigated acres in the basin (given in this report) 

 range from 230,000 to 400,000. No one knows how much 

 land is actually under irrigation. Ideally, the data 

 base would be updated yearly in a consistent manner and 

 the data would be made widely available. This could be 

 coupled with an analysis of potential future water uses 

 and needs, so that the trade-offs and implications of 

 current actions are more fully understood. 



Initiate conjunctive management of surface and ground 

 water. 



a. The DNRC should identify those areas in the Clark 

 Fork Basin where surface water-ground water 

 relationships need to be defined. The DNRC should 

 also identify the analytical tools needed to 

 evaluate ground water use impacts on surface flow. 

 Areas where future development may occur should be 

 given a high priority. The priority site list 

 should be used to establish funding directives for 

 research in the basin. 



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