40 INJUKY BY SMELTER WASTES. 



observed. In Willow Creek Valley, by reason of the protection 

 offered by the hills, a considerable amount of green and seemingly 

 uninjured timber was to be observed nearly to the National Forest 

 boundary line. Here it was observed that practically all red firs 

 had been killed, a condition which continued the remainder of the 

 way up Willow Creek. In Oleson Gulch the red firs were nearly all 

 dead or dying, and the lodgepole pines growing on the bluffs at the 

 side of this gulch were much discolored and otherwise injured. In 

 Fourth of July Gulch, which opens into Willow Creek Valley, all of 

 the timber in the upper end was swept by fire. At the lower end, 

 however, there was no indication of a recent fire, yet nearly all of 

 the red firs were killed or dying. 



A trip was then made westward from Gregson up Gregson Canyon 

 and on the mountains surrounding it, covering, approximately, sees. 

 4, 5, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, T. 3 N., R. 10 W., from 6 to 8 miles from the 

 smelter. In the bottom of Gregson Canyon none of the trees seemed 

 to be injured, but on the top of the ridges surrounding the can3-on 

 a large percentage of the red firs were injured and gradually dying. 

 The lodgepole pines did not appear to be affected. Since no fire 

 of any importance, except a recent small outbreak covering about 5 

 acres, had swept over this country for from fifty to sixty years, the 

 dead red firs observed could not possibly be ascribed to that source. 



South from Anaconda a road was followed that runs first southeast 

 and then southwest across the divide and thence by a branch road 

 to the neighborhood of Allen's Camp. A point was reached about 11 

 miles south of the smelter and 3 miles beyond the divide. Both the 

 red firs and the lodgepole pines were badly injured all the way to 

 the divide, beyond which for a distance of from 1 to 2 miles along 

 the main road no red firs were growing; lodgepole pines were seen, 

 however, many of which were injured and much discolored. When 

 this region was visited in 1906 the injury to lodgepole pines practi- 

 cally ceased at the divide, while in 1908 it extended for a distance 

 of from 1 to 2 miles beyond the divide. In the vicinity of Allen's 

 Camj), at a point about 3 miles beyond the divide and 11 miles 

 south of the smelter, no injury to either red firs or lodgepole pines 

 was apparent. 



WEST OF THE SMELTER. 



A trip was made west from Anaconda up Sheep Gulch, over the 

 mountain shown in figure 1, Plate VII, and thence across the country 

 covered, approximately, by sees. 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 20, 21, T. 4 N., R. 11 

 W. The whole mountainous country between Mill and Warm 

 Springs creeks, varying from about 2 to 4^ miles from the smelter, 

 could be seen. On the mountain a rather recent fire had swept the 

 very top of the mountain, shown in the illustration, but most of the 



