STUDY NUMBER ; 18.1 



ORGANIZATION ; Montana Department of Natural Resources and 

 Conservation (MDNRC) 



TITLE OF STUDY ; Environmental Impact Statement- -Upper Clark 

 Fork River Water Reservations 



CONTACT ( S ) ; Tom Ring, Montana Department of Natural Resources 



and Conservation - 444-6785 



Susan Higgins, Montana Department of Natural Re- 

 sources and Conservation - 444-6607 



OBJECTIVE ; Prepare an evaluation of the environmental, social 

 and economic impacts of allocating water resources in the upper 

 Clark Fork River for instream flows and for irrigation storage 

 reservoirs. The Environmental Impact Statement will analyze 

 a series of alternatives and their relative impacts. 



DURATION ; 1987 - 1988 



CURRENT STATUS ; The Montana Department of Natural Resources 

 and Conservation has received two applications to reserve water 

 in the upper Clark Fork River basin. The Department of Fish, 

 Wildlife and Parks wishes to reserve instream flows in the main- 

 stem of the Clark Fork River and 17 of its tributaries. The 

 Granite County Conservation District is seeking to reserve water 

 for irrigation needs of the county by developing storage reser- 

 voirs in the Boulder and Willow Creek drainages between Drummond 

 and Phillipsburg. 



A third application is expected from the Mile High Conser- 

 vation District for reservation of surface and groundwater in 

 Silver Bow County for irrigation. 



Public scoping meetings were held in March at Drummond, 

 Anaconda and Bonner. Issues raised at the public scoping meetings 

 will be considered in developing the alternatives and impact 

 evaluations. 



FUTURE ACTIVITIES ; A tentative schedule for completion of the 

 water reservation process follows; 



June, 1987; Finalize Mile High Conservation District ap- 

 plication 



Fall, 1987; Publish and receive public comments on draft 

 Environmental Impact Statement 



Early winter, 1987; Publish final Environmental Impact 

 Statement 



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