A 12-year-old research program created by the Montana Legislature continues to discover the complexities of Montana’s groundwater aquifers. From the Flathead River valley to Four Corners near Bozeman, that work continues, as a specially appointed steering committee weighs projects for a next round of research.
(Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology)
Understanding how groundwater behaves is important for all water users. Although only 2.5 percent of water used in Montana comes directly from an aquifer, groundwater generally feeds more than half the base flow for Montana’s rivers and streams.
The Ground Water Investigation Program has conducted or will conduct 85 research projects across Montana. From these, hydrologists at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology have issued 20 peer-reviewed reports (see map below). Researchers have primarily studied the effects of land use and irrigation changes on groundwater, and the interaction between groundwater and surface water sources.
The Ground Water Steering Committee will prioritize nine proposed projects, including the effects on groundwater of:
- irrigation conversion on the Big Hole River
- new groundwater developments on Big Muddy Creek in Roosevelt and Sheridan counties
- growth in west Billings
- withdrawals near Eureka
- gravel pits and private ponds in the Gallatin Valley
- irrigation methods and efficiencies in Carbon County near Edgar
- wastewater contamination in the Seeley Lake area
- current and future development in the southeast Helena Valley
- withdrawals in Ashley Creek and Lost Creek fan areas near Kalispell
Map of Ground Water Investigation Program sites. (Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology)
