POLLUTION CONTROL AND 

 INVESTIGATIONS 



Species oi water insects reflect the condition of water in which they live and are thus 

 important indicators of pollution. 



The Montana Fish and Game Department has 

 cooperated in the pollution control program by as- 

 signing a biologist to the Board of Health. The state- 

 wide classification was completed under the direc- 

 tion of the State Board of Health which administers 

 the Water Pollution Control Act. This is a classifica- 

 tion of Montana streams as to use so adequate 

 pollution control standards can be established and 

 maintained. 



An extensive investigation was made on the 

 Clark Fork of the Columbia River during the summer 

 of 1960, following a mine-mill waste pollution and 

 fish kill in the late winter of that year. The upper 30 

 miles of the Clark Fork (below the Anaconda Com- 

 pany settling ponds to Garrison, Montana, was found 

 to be in poor condition biologically. Some improve- 

 ment was shown in the river from Garrison to Bonner 

 in late summer. Some of the increase in pollution 

 sensitive organisms (those organisms unable to sur- 

 vive in polluted conditions) in this section of the 

 river was undoubtedly due to natural population 

 fluctuations, but is a definite indication that clean 

 water conditions exist. If present pollution abatement 

 practices are maintained, the condition of the upper 

 river will undoubtedly continue to improve. 



The effect of Missoula sewage on the Clark Fork 

 River is still apparent below Missoula, but the stream 



should improve with the advent of sewage treatment 

 of that city. A treatment plant is now under con- 

 struction. 



The 1960 stream sampling reflected clean water 

 conditions below the Bitterroot River in the vicinity 

 of the Waldorf-Hoerner Pulp and Paper Mill. A severe 

 kill of whitefish occurred in a stretch of river (approxi- 

 mately 10 miles long) below the Waldorf-Hoerner 

 Mill during late September of 1961. The cause of the 

 kill could not be definitely established; however, fish 

 sampling indicated the source of the pollutant to be 

 the Waldorf-Hoerner Mill. The area of the kill was 

 very similar to the 1958 kill which was attributed to 

 wastes from that mill. 



As in the past, waste stabilization lagoons at the 

 Waldorf-Hoerner Mill were emptied during the high 

 water period in April, May and June of 1962. Acute 

 toxicity bioassays were conducted on wastes to be 

 released and recommendations for safe concentra- 

 tions, based on the bioassay results, were made by 

 pollution control personnel. In all cases Waldorf- 

 Hoerner Company personnel responded favorably to 

 the recommendations. By this approach, together 

 with the increased waste storage facilities and other 

 methods of disposal, the effect of waste discharges 

 on the river can be held to a minimum. The effect 

 of the latest series of discharges cannot be deter- 



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