Mater Quality Inventory 



Introduction 



A water quality inventory was initiated to characterize the current 

 status of streams on the Mount Haggin F^anagenient area. The measurement of 

 physical and chemical parameters will also provide a baseline to monitor 

 current land uses such as cattle grazing, timber harvest and future land 

 use changes. 



Methods 



Water samples were collected at high (June 10-17, 1980), intermediate 

 (July 8-10, 1980) and low flows (August 26 - September 2, 1980) at stations 

 on 13 Mount Haggin streams (Figure 1). Samples were collected by immersing 

 a DH-48 depth integrated sampler at approximately one foot intervals 

 throughout a stream cross section. A sample collection consisted of: 500 ml 

 untreated, 250 ml filtered, 500 ml filtered and acidified, 500 ml acidified, 

 250 ml treated with ]7o Hg Cl^, and 250 ml for sediment analysis from each 

 stream on each sample date. Chemical samples that were not acid preserved were 

 kept on ice in the field and refrigerated as soon as possible. After collection, 

 the samples were delivered to the Analytical Division of the Montana Bureau of 

 Mines and Geology in Butte for analysis by standard methods. . 



Chemical parameters selected for analysis included: specific conductance, 

 alkalinity, hardness, pH, total sediment, major anions and cations and nitrate. 

 Also included in the analysis were determinations of dissolved arsenic at high 

 and low flows and heavy metals analyses at low flow on streams that had a past 

 mining history. Streams from which chemical samples were collected include: 

 Seymour, Sullivan, Twelvemile, Slaughterhouse, Tenmile, Sevenmile, Deep, Six- 

 mile, Oregon, Ajiierican, California, French and Willow Creeks. 



Results 



Selected chemical and physical parameters for Mount Haggin streams are 

 presented in Table 1 and Appendix Table 1. The data indicate that Mount 

 Haggin streams exhibit low to intermediate specific conductances and 

 alkalinities and nearly neutral to slightly basic pH values. Streams that 

 originate at high elevation along the north-south spine of the Anaconda- 

 Pintlars, (e.g. Seymour, Sullivan, Twelvemile and Tenmile Creeks), exhibited 

 very low specific conductances (x = 35.7 to 64.0 umhos /cm), while streams 

 originating at lower elevation, (e.g. Sevenmile, Slaughterhouse, Sixmile and 

 Willow Creeks) showed intermediate conductance values (x = 96.0 to 235.9 umhos/ 

 cm). Total alkalinities followed this same trend of stream origin. The 

 alkalinity of all Mount Haggin streams was bicarbonate in nature with the 

 exception of the intermediate flow of Sevenmile Creek which contained some 

 carbonate alkalinity. Specific conductance, alkalinity and pH all increased 

 with decreasing flow in the Mount Haggin streams. 



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