STUDY NUMBER ; 9.4 



ORGANIZATION ; U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Montana Office 



TITLE OF STUDY ; Suspended and Trace Metals in the Clark Fork 

 and Major Tributaries from Deer Lodge to Milltown, Montana, March 

 1985 through June 1986. 



CONTACT ( S ) ; Joe Moreland, US Geological Survey, Helena - 449- 



5263 



John Lambing, US Geological Survey, Helena - 449-'- 

 5263 



OBJECTIVE ; Identify the magnitude and variability of suspended 

 sediment and trace metal concentrations in the upper Clark Fork 

 basin. Determine the cumulative increase in suspended sediment 

 loads between Deer Lodge and Turah. Examine statistical relation- 

 ships between suspended sediment and metals concentrations for 

 use in simulating metals loads transported at daily sediment 

 sampling sites. 



DURATION ; March 1985 through September, 1987 or longer 



CURRENT STATUS ; Water quality data collection and analysis was 

 completed in September, 1986. A data report summarizing the 

 results of the study was completed and released in March, 1987. 



FUTURE ACTIVITIES ; The daily sediment sampling will be continued 

 through joint efforts of the Montana Department of Health and 

 Environmental Sciences and the US Geological Survey. This is 

 a continuation of the joint effort previously conducted with 

 the Governor's Office. 



Daily sediment analyses will be collected at Deer Lodge 

 and Turah. Periodically during high flow/high sediment periods 

 and during low flow, specific metals will be analyzed by the 

 US Geological Survey Central Lab. During the remainder of the 

 runs, only total sediments will be determined. The data will 

 be used as a long-term indicator of upstream disturbance and 

 general condition of the river channel and adjacent flood plain. 



PUBLICATION AND REPORTS ; 



Water Quality Data for the Clark Fork and Selected Tributaries 

 from Deer Lodge to Milltown, Montana, March 1985 through June 



1986. U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 87-110. March, 



1987, Helena, Montana. 



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