By The Numbers
Geography
The Upper Clark Fork Watershed stretches roughly from Butte to Missoula. The largest tributaries include Silver Bow Creek, Browns Gulch, Warm Springs Creek, Racetrack Creek, the Little Blackfoot River, and Flint Creek. The area where the WRC works is bounded by the Boulder Mountains to the east, the Highland and Anaconda-Pintler Ranges to the south, the Flint Creek Range to the west, and the Garnet Range to the north.
History of the Upper Clark Fork
The headwaters of the Clark Fork River supplied vital resources for Montana and the nation. Numerous mines and smelters produced metals, the forests produced logs, and farms produced food. Unfortunately, the river, streams, and our agricultural lands paid a heavy price from the contamination associated with these historic activities: this watershed is now the largest Superfund site in the country.
Our land and water resources are severely degraded. In many areas, fish populations are diminished, lands are less productive, streams are de-watered, riparian areas are barren, and noxious weeds infest uplands. Luckily, our watershed is in the midst of great positive change. Superfund cleanup is underway to restore the river and adjacent agricultural lands to full health. Meanwhile, the WRC is working with a host of partners on restoration projects that also fix the problems in our watershed.
- 120 river miles
- 33 tributary streams
- 1,870 sq. miles of land
- 42% private land
- 82% of private land is agricultural
Geography
The Upper Clark Fork Watershed stretches roughly from Butte to Missoula. The largest tributaries include Silver Bow Creek, Browns Gulch, Warm Springs Creek, Racetrack Creek, the Little Blackfoot River, and Flint Creek. The area where the WRC works is bounded by the Boulder Mountains to the east, the Highland and Anaconda-Pintler Ranges to the south, the Flint Creek Range to the west, and the Garnet Range to the north.
History of the Upper Clark Fork
The headwaters of the Clark Fork River supplied vital resources for Montana and the nation. Numerous mines and smelters produced metals, the forests produced logs, and farms produced food. Unfortunately, the river, streams, and our agricultural lands paid a heavy price from the contamination associated with these historic activities: this watershed is now the largest Superfund site in the country.
Our land and water resources are severely degraded. In many areas, fish populations are diminished, lands are less productive, streams are de-watered, riparian areas are barren, and noxious weeds infest uplands. Luckily, our watershed is in the midst of great positive change. Superfund cleanup is underway to restore the river and adjacent agricultural lands to full health. Meanwhile, the WRC is working with a host of partners on restoration projects that also fix the problems in our watershed.
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The WRC's Priority Areas
We put in place on-the-ground conservation and restoration projects that benefit natural resources as well as the landowners and communities in four counties: Granite, Silver Bow, Powell, and Anaconda-Deer Lodge. The WRC's uses scientific data to prioritize where we work, including: 1) The Upper Clark Fork Tributaries Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Framework Watershed Water Quality Improvement Plan, which we helped Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality complete in 2010. 2) The Upper Clark Fork River Basin Aquatic and Terrestrial Resources Restoration Plan, finalized by the Montana Natural Resource Damage Program in 2012. 3) Up-to-date data that assesses the health of the basin's water quality, fish and wildlife, timber stands, and soil collected by a variety of partner agencies and nonprofit groups. |
This map shows the focus areas for WRC's projects, based on the 2010 TMDL and Framework Watershed Water Quality Improvement Plan.
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