Abstract of the Final Report 



OF THE 



Flathead Basin Forest Practices 

 Water Quality and Fisheries Cooperative Program 



The Flathead Basin Forest Practices/Water 

 Quality and Fisheries Cooperative Program was 

 initiated in 1988. It's goal was to evaluate the 

 effects of forest practices on water quality and 

 fisheries in the Flathead Basin. 



The Cooperative Program was administered 

 by a Coordinating Team representing the Mon- 

 tana Department of State Lands Forestry Divi- 

 sion, the Flathead National Forest, Plum Creek 

 Timber Company, L.P., the Montana Depart- 

 ment of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Montana 

 Department of Health and Environmental Sci- 

 ences' Water Quality Bureau, the University of 

 Montana, and the Flathead Basin Commission. 



The Cooperative Program's specific objec- 

 tives were ( 1 ) to document, evaluate, and moni- 

 tor whether forest practices affect water quality 

 and fisheries within the Flathead Basin, and (2) 

 if detrimental impacts exist, to establish a proc- 

 ess to utilize this information to develop criteria 

 and administrative procedures for protecting 

 water quality and fisheries. 



Eight study leaders developed ten individ- 

 ual studies (modules). They conducted these 

 studies during 1989 and 1990. They held a 

 coordination workshop early in 1989 to de- 

 velop linkages among the studies and to obtain 

 external review from three watershed and fish- 

 eries scientists from Idaho and Washington. A 

 set of study watersheds was selected at this 

 workshop to help integrate as many of the field 

 studies as possible. 



The ten individual studies included the evalu- 



ation of: (1) specific practices at the site level, 

 (2) accumulation of practices at the watershed 

 level, (3) general stream conditions, (4) water 

 quality variables relative to levels of manage- 

 ment activity in small watersheds, (5) fish habi- 

 tat and abundance relative to stream variables 

 influenced by forest practices at the watershed 

 level, (6) long-term changes in large-stream 

 dynamics related to historical records of natural 

 and man-related disturbances, and (7) changes 

 in lake sediments relative to historical records 

 of natural and man-related disturbances. 



Each of the individual studies were docu- 

 mented in "stand-alone" reports available 

 through the Flathead Basin Commission (723 

 Fifth Avenue East, Kalispell, Montana 59901). 

 The study leaders summarized their reports for 

 inclusion in this Final Report.. Then the study 

 leaders individually drafted conclusions and 

 recommendations as a basis for discussion and 

 interaction. 



The study team leaders held workshops 

 during the spring of 1991 to review results and 

 to develop a consensus set of summary conclu- 

 sions and summary recommendations for con- 

 sideration by the cooperating land management 

 organizations. The land management organiza- 

 tions then developed a formal response to the 

 recommendations for inclusion in this Final 

 Report. Following final editing and printing, 

 this Final Report will be presented at a summer 

 workshop for public information and response. 



Flathead Basin Cooperative Program Final Report 



