4 



present-day seeps, these naturally occuring salt deposits do not spread. 

 For these reasons they are not included in the definition of saline 

 seep given at the beginning of this paper. 



The saline seep story began between 1910 and 1920 when most 

 of the native grassland of northern Montana was plowed. Undoubtedly 

 some excess water accumulated beneath the root zone for many years 

 following, but extended periods of drought and inefficient farming 

 practices probably slowed saline seep development. The phenomenon 

 (locally called alkali or north slope alkali) first appeared in Montana 

 in the late 1940s, just a few years after the alternate crop-fallow 

 farming system became well established; after large, high-powered 

 farming equipment became available; and after the beginning of wide- 

 spread chemical weed control (7). 



Some early accounts show sporadic concern about the problem. 

 In 1947 the Montana Cooperative Extension Service (MCES) made a 

 brief field investigation and wrote an evaluation (26). In 1954 an 

 article titled "North Slope Alkali" appeared in the Montana Farmer 

 Stockman (29). And, in 1955, prinnarily through the efforts of 

 R. W. Warden, first district conservationist for the SCS at Fort 

 Benton, a team of SCS specialists investigated seep areas and 

 prepared a short report. 



